Battle Royale
by KeMu
Summary: A weakening government attempts to control teens of today by creating a new game, Battle Royale. The objective: The last person alive gets to go home. Class 1-B of Domino High is the lucky class picked for the game. 10/30 to go
1. The Game Begins

Admittedly, this is a bit of a crossover. Only in situation, though. There's this awesome Japanese movie called Battle Royale. It has the same plot as this fic does. You don't need to have watched the movie in order to read this, so don't worry. Remember, this *will* be rather graphic, and people *will* die. So expect it! I know that all these people aren't even the same age, let alone in the same class at school. But bear with me. Use your imagination. Also, this takes place *after* Battle City, and after Yami finds out about his past and all that. I'm using Japanese names, here. Keep in mind that formally, the last name is said first.   
  
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Joey Wheeler-Jounouchi Katsuya (Yes, Katsuya is his *first* name).........  
  
Tea Gardener- Mazaki Anzu.........  
  
Tristan Taylor-Honda Hiroto.........  
  
Duke Devlin-Ryouji Otogi.........  
  
Bakrua-Bakura Ryou........  
  
Weevil Underwood-Haga Insector.........  
  
Rex Raptor-Ryusaki Dinosaur.........  
  
Nazoka Miho-Never appeared in the English series.......  
  
Marik Ishtar-Ishtar Malik (Well, really, it could be Marik, too. I just choose Malik.)........  
  
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Any other names you see are just misc people I made up that aren't really important. Think of them as extras.  
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I was the sole survivor of Battle Royale. Ours was the last game the government ever set up. They tell themselves that they though the youths of Japan had learned their lesson. In actuality, the government itself was close to being overthrown. The only way they could have kept their positions of power was if they took it by force. There was no way they would have succeeded. The loss of the president of KaibaCorp hit the economy hard, and suspicion grew along with money troubles.   
  
People began to wonder what the founders and maintainers of BR were thinking when they set up this mad game. Parents found their sorrow and grief morph into rage. Sisters, brothers, family members, all of them joined together to put an end to BR. The game was halted just as a fresh batch of students was being sent to the island. They were happy, to say the least. BR's secret had been out ever since I came home. The students now knew that they were being sent to the island to die. They narrowly avoided their fate to play the game.   
  
But for me, the game will go on forever.   
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"I'm so tired." Katsuya Jounouchi groaned, trying to stretch out on the cramped bus that the class of 1-B from Domino High School was crowded on. "I don't care if this *is* supposed to be some ultra-cool field trip. They should have us leave at, like, 3:00 or something." He complained. Yuugi Mutoh smiled sympathetically, dodging out of the way as one of Jou's arms came soaring towards him. "Watch out, Jou. You'll put Yugi's eye out!" Anzu Mazaki scolded. She was sitting across the isle from Jou and Yugi's seat, next to Honda Hiroto. "It's alright." Yugi said as Jou apologized. A head popped up from the seat behind Yugi and Jou, sneering. "What's the matter, is 8:00 too early for Jou-chan? Does Jou-chan need more beauty sleep?" Insector Haga simpered. Beside Insector, Dinosaur Ryusaki laughed. "He sure does!" He agreed. Jou swung at them half-heartedly, then fell back into his seat. "It's too early for this." He groaned.   
  
In the back of the bus, Ryou Bakura and Malik Ishtar were talking quietly, discussing some homework assignment or another. Malik sighed, wondering why he put up with this. If it had been anyone but Ryou, he wouldn't have even bothered to look at them, let alone talk about something as frivolous as school. When he had been in his gang, he had power, respect, and all the interesting conversations he wanted. But if Malik tried to talk to Ryou about anything that involved blood, pain, or discomfort of any kind, Ryou would immediately stiffen and try to change the subject. To Malik, who hadn't lived a very decent or sheltered life ever since he was ten, nothing could surprise or affect him anymore. But Ryou was a different story. Ryou's Yami, Malik knew, regularly beat him and who knew what else. Ryou didn't tell anybody, so probably only Malik himself, and maybe Yugi's Yami, knew. Malik loved Ryou more than anybody else in the world, with the exception of his sister and 'brother'. To Malik, Ryou was another brother, only this time a younger one that Malik had to care for himself.   
  
'I'm doing a lousy job helping him.' Malik thought glumly, eyeing a series of fingerprint bruises on Ryou's arm. If it weren't for the fact that Bakura couldn't solidify himself in this world, Ryou would probably always be in the hospital. As it was, Bakura could drag Ryou to his soul room and punch him around a bit. No broken bones, though, since Ryou's body technically wasn't real in his soul room. For that Malik was grateful. If only he could stop Bakura from hurting Ryou or possessing him at all. "Malik?" A hesitant voice asked. Malik tore himself from his dream world and looked at Ryou with inquiring eyes. "Yes?" he asked, pretending he had been paying attention and failing miserably. Ryou smiled at him anyway, gesturing around the bus. "We're here." He said, standing up. Malik nodded and followed suit. He grabbed his carry-on bag from the rack overhead and followed Ryou out of the bus, making sure to step on Seto Kaiba's foot as he made his way out. Kaiba growled at him but couldn't retaliate since a group of girls had gotten between them.   
  
Kaiba was having a very bad day. He had gotten home very late last night and found Mokuba on the couch of his room, waiting for him. He became guiltily aware at how much time he spent at work compared to with his brother. Mokuba hadn't said anything to him, but little hints had given Kaiba a clue as to what his little brother was feeling. Leaving dinner out for Kaiba since he wasn't home on time enough to eat with him, writing notes to him to tell him what had gone on in his day at school (since Mokuba never saw Kaiba long enough to tell him himself), and now he was falling asleep in Kaiba's room. It had taken every ounce of Mokuba's persuasion skills to get Kaiba to go along on this stupid scientific research trip. Mokuba had insisted that Kaiba needed a break. Kaiba had agreed only after one day when he found himself asleep at his office. If anything else on this trip, Kaiba had thought at the time, at least I'll get some sleep on the bus.   
  
But then on the day of departure his alarm clock hadn't gone off, and Kaiba overslept, almost missing the bus altogether. Then he found out that his chauffeur had run away with his maid, and he had to call the reserved hired help. When he got to the meeting place with the buses, the only seat left was next to Miho Nazaka, who kept talking to him about how cute Ryou Bakura was, and how sweet Ryou Bakura was, and how great Ryou Bakura was. It was a miracle that he managed to sleep at all. For someone as tired as Jou was supposed to be, he sure spent an awfully long time talking. Finally, though, they were at their destination.  
  
Yugi looked around, eyes curious. According to the information sheet they had all been given, they were going to an island about an hour or so away from Japan. There was supposed to be some great scientific research being done on the island, and Yugi's class had been chosen to go and learn about it. They were now at a small airport, ready to load onto the planes that would take them to the island.   
  
After everybody was on the plane, a t.v screen made it's way down from the ceiling to where everybody could view it. There were a few murmurs of appreciation. This trip hadn't cost them anything, and they got first class movies! Yugi, Jou, Honda, Anzu and Otogi, who had chosen to sit next to them on the plane, conversed casually as a recent movie played. Yugi had seen this particular movie before, so he didn't really pay much attention to it. Soon he felt himself grow sleepy. "I think I'll take a nap until we get there." He said to his friends. Anzu was already asleep, and Jou and Honda just nodded, engrossed in the film. Otogi looked tired himself, and nodded to Yugi before closing his eyes. Yugi followed suit, and soon found himself in a peaceful, dreamless sleep.   
  
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When Yugi woke up, he was in a cold, windowless building, lying on the floor. A quick look around showed him that the rest of his class was in a similar state. A few of them were sitting up, wiping their eyes groggily and gazing about the room in curiosity. Yugi looked next to him and saw Jou. "Wake up, Jou." Yugi whispered, shaking Jou's shoulder. Jou mumbled incoherently before opening his eyes. "Wha?" he muttered. He took in his surroundings silently, then looked at Yugi. "What's going on, Yugi?" he asked sitting up. Yugi shrugged. Jou blinked, then he shook Honda, who was next to him. Yugi looked around and saw Anzu beginning to stir across the room.   
  
As soon as she was awake, she stood up shakily and walked towards Yugi, Jou, and Honda. "Where are we?" she asked, voice high. Her eyes fell to Yugi's neck. "What is *that*?" Anzu touched a collar of metal that had replaced Yugi's old choker. Yugi glanced down, startled. He could feel the change, even if he couldn't see it. "What? Why.....Hey, Anzu, you have one too! And you two." He said to Jou and Honda. Jou felt around his throat and touched cold metal. Since he couldn't see his own, he looked at Honda's. It was a plain silver collar with a black square in the front. "What the hell?" he muttered. He yanked at it for a few seconds before giving up and standing.   
  
As soon as he stood, a door nobody had noticed was forced open and a group of people dressed in military attire strode inside. The class began throwing furious questions at the adults. "Where are we?" "What is this thing on my neck?" "Who are you?" "If I don't get any explanations now, I'll sue you." The only man who wasn't in a camouflage suit raised his hand, ordering quiet. The class, wanting answers, obliged. "Congratulations. You, class 1-B of Domino High School, have been chosen to participate in this month's 'Battle Royale' game. I am your.....host, Iwate." Yugi's ears perked up at the word 'game.' In his soul room, Yami, who seemed to have been asleep this whole time, woke up, listening intently while at the same time trying to figure out where his host was.   
  
"What is this 'Battle Royale' thing, and why didn't you ask our permission?" Jou asked angrily. "You can't just drug us or whatever you did and drag us someplace." Iwate walked up to Jou, looking steadily at him. Jou glared back. "You-" Jou broke off when the man punched him in the stomach. While Jou wheezed and fell to his knees, pushing off the help Yugi and Anzu offered, Iwate went back to the front of the room. "Now then. In light of all the misbehavior, lack of respect for your elders, violence at your schools, and overall deterioration of ethics and morals today's kids seem to have, We have created a game called Battle Royale, or BR. The point of the game is to have a class of kids left on a small island for 3 days with limited supplies. The goal is to see who the last child alive is." The man said calmly.   
  
A shocked silence filled the room. It was broken by Kaiba, who looked Iwate straight in the eye, as if telling him that he wasn't intimidated by him. "You're not serious. What do you mean 'the last child alive'?" he spat. Iwate narrowed his eyes at Kaiba. "I meant 'The Last Child Alive." He repeated. "Only one person can get off this island alive and go home. That person is the winner, the one who managed to kill, and not be killed. Of course, it has happened before that the two remaining people managed to kill each other off, and so there was no winner, but I'm sure there will not be a problem like that here." The room filled with noise as the students let their feelings be known.   
  
"SHUT UP!" Iwate roared. Once again silence reigned. "If I were you," Iwate said softly as he gazed at the wide-eyed class, "I would listen very carefully. Otherwise you may miss something. Now we will watch a video on what to expect. I'm sure you all will like that. Pay attention now." He turned around to face an old t.v, turning it on. The words "THE RIGHT WAY TO FIGHT BATTLE ROYALE. Battle Royale Committee Act" appeared. Then a peppy lady wearing camouflage shorts, a tank top, many bracelets and other jewelry, and a collar like the ones the teens were wearing came onscreen and smiled. "Hello, class 1-B of Domino High! You're the lucky class that got picked to be in this Battle Royale game! Give yourself a hand!" she clapped, and the students stared at the t.v in disbelief. "Now then. Before you go out on your own, I'll explain a few things about this game, so you can fight right and with gusto! Your on a deserted island that looks like this." In the background a digital map of the island they were apparently on was shown. "It's about 10 kilometers around." The lady said. The map went away and the lady was alone again. "Okay, about your necklaces. Aren't they beautiful?" she touched her own, fingering it lovingly.  
  
"They're 100% waterproof and shockproof. They're also permanent! They monitor your pulse, informing us on your location and movement. If you cause any trouble, they'll identify you to us. Then we'll send radio waves from here to your necklaces, causing them to go BOOM!" She threw her hands up in an exaggerated matter. Anzu gasped, along with most of the other students. Jou glared at the TV "This has got to be some sort of joke." He muttered. Yugi elbowed him lightly, warning him not to talk. They went back to watching the television. "But that's not all! Remember, this assignment of yours must be completed in *three* days," she held up three fingers, still grinning in a cheerful way, " and if we don't have a winner by then, all the necklaces will automatically explode, and nobody wins." She put on a sad face and rubbed imaginary tears from her face. "So let's fight hard! Oh. They'll also explode if you try to pull them off." she smiled. Many of the kids quickly lowered their hands from their necks. They had been trying to do just that.  
  
"You're going to be leaving one by one, but first you'll get a kit." The woman continued. The camera zoomed out and showed a counter with a brown, backpack on it, along with some water bottles, food packets, and other stuff. "You have your foods," she said, indicating the objects, "water, a flashlight, and a map and compass. Also, in each bag is a weapon for you to use. Each weapon is different. Not just knives and guns either! It's random, so maybe you'll get lucky, maybe not. This eliminates natural advantages." She pulled out an axe from behind her bag and made an exaggerated surprised face. "This one's super lucky! Remember, there are no rules except the 3-day limit. Now, I'm going to call you one by one. You'll get your backpack, and leave this room and go off to roam the island!"  
  
Iwate paused the video and looked around the room. He was smiling. "We've notified you're parents, so nothing's left undone. When she calls you, go out that door, and I suggest running quickly! You can examine your weapons at your leisure. Any questions?" He looked at the stunned group. Even Kaiba looked baffled. He finally cleared his throat, though. "You don't actually expect any of us to kill each other." He said, his tone implying that it wasn't a question. Iwate raised an eyebrow. "Expect? Well, you had better finish each other off. If there is more than one person alive at 11:59 on the third day, then you all die anyway. Then nobody lives." He indicated to the collars they were wearing. Kaiba stared at Iwate for a few seconds. Somehow, he knew that this wasn't a joke. Iwate was serious. Beside Kaiba, Miho began crying softly. "Why us? What did we do?" she whispered.  
  
Iwate frowned. "Stop that. It's annoying and unnecessary. As for what you did.....well, as I'm sure you all know, today's generation of *children*," he stared at them, "have been anything but adequate. By the time all of you grow up, you'll have turned the world, which we have worked so hard to build, into shambles. You have no respect for life. You drink, do drugs. Have sex. Vandalize. Cut school. Murder." Each sentence was punctuated with distaste. The class was a mix of ashamed faces, incredulous looks, and sneers. It had been happening all over the world, they knew. Students just didn't think they needed to behave anymore, or listen to anybody. Domino High had been one of the more moderate schools, though. They still had a majority of decent people. "Why us?" Miho repeated, tears flowing down her cheeks. Several students repeated her question. What had they *personally* done? A few skipped school, or drank, but nothing serious. Nobody killed anyone, certainly.   
  
Iwate growled at the gathering noise. "Shut up. You just happened to win the lottery, that's all. You should consider it an honor. The winners of the games before yours thought it was." Jou gasped. "You mean there were more of these? Killing and all? How can you do that? I don't believe you. You can't make us kill each other!" He argued. Beside him, Honda nodded in agreement. He sidled over to where Miho was. Honda had had a crush on Miho for years. Right now he tried to comfort her, while still maintaining a glare on Iwate and the other soldiers. "How can you let him do this?" He yelled to the uniformed men.   
  
They stared back stoically. One of them smirked. Iwate pulled out a small black keypad from his pocket. "Oh no, oh no." he mumbled quietly to himself. "They don't believe they'll play the game." He looked up at the area Honda and Miho were at. "Well, I'll give you the right incentive to play. An example. This is what will happen to all of you, if you do not manage to finish your mission in three days." He held the keypad up and pointed it at Miho's throat. A beep sounded, and a laser connected from the keypad to the black square on Miho's collar.   
  
Miho screamed. A steady beep now began, issuing from the necklace. As the seconds passed, which Miho spent tearing at the collar with her fingers, the beeping grew faster and faster, like a countdown. Honda yelled and attempted to help Miho pull the necklace off. Several of the other students were screaming and running around, trying to distance themselves from Miho. The video they had watched said that there was a bomb-like thing in the collar, and they didn't want to be around it when it went off. Yugi ran over to Miho to help, but Jou pulled him back, grasping him tightly to keep him away.   
  
Tears fell from Yugi's face as he watched Miho run around in panic, with Honda following behind her yelling her name. "Ryou!" Miho cried, stretching her arms out towards her crush. Ryou shook his head in helplessness, eyes wet. All of a sudden, the beeping stopped. Miho's eyes opened wide as she turned around to face Honda, the only one within ten feet of her. She opened her mouth to say something. Then her throat burst open as the bomb detonated, severing her jugular. Blood sprayed everything around her body. As Honda, drenched, watched in horror, Miho's dead eyes still filled with shock disappeared from his sight as she collapsed in a heap on the floor.  
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V ********Girl #3: Nazaka Miho Dead. 29 to Go.******  
  
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Almost everybody was screaming and yelling now. They pushed at the soldiers, trying to get past them and out the doors. Yugi sobbed and clutched Jou's arms, ignoring Jou's own tears that landed on his head. Honda was one of the few that hadn't made a sound. He stared at the corpse for a moment longer, then launched himself at Iwate. "YOU BASTARD!" He screamed, voice breaking. Jou and Otogi ran to him in a desperate attempt to hold him back. "Honda! He'll kill you too, Honda! Stop it! Stop!!" Jou yelled in Honda's ear. Iwate, meanwhile, had put away the keypad and pulled out a gun. He fired several shots into the ceiling. The soldiers followed his examples and they all started firing into the air, effectively quieting the panicked group. Even Honda held still for a moment. "As you see," Iwate said, no remorse at all in his voice, "This is the fate that all of you will share if you don't play our game.  
  
You will all be called by name, now, and sent off to the island wilderness. You are allowed to stay in the abandoned buildings if you like. You can also bring the carry-on bags you brought with you. Three times every day, 6:00am, 12:00pm, and 6:00pm, I will get on the intercom and let you know how your doing. What's happening. Who's dead. How many to go." He smiled. A crash startled the teens as a garage-like door behind them opened. More soldiers poured into the room, pushing a rack with the 'Survival Bags' on them to the front of the room. Iwate saluted them, and they returned the gesture. Then he turned to the t.v again.  
  
He hit play on the VCR. The cheery woman began talking again. "Okay, now, when I call your name, I want to hear a nice big 'Here'! There are fifteen girls and fifteen boys. You will be called by number. Boy #1: Watanabe Kouhei." Kouhei, a boy thin boy that hung around with many of the computer enthusiasts practically yelled "Here!" in his nervousness. He hesitantly grabbed his bag, which had been placed next to him while he had been unconscious then jogged up to the door that he was supposed to go through. Before he went through, a gruff looking soldier lifted a bag from the rack and threw it at Kouhei. Kouei stumbled, caught the bag, and then ran out of the room.   
  
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B ******The Game Begins: Day One 1:40am ********  
  
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"Girl #1: Suzuki Misaki." The woman on the t.v said. A girl with pigtails picked up her bag, hugged her friend, and walked to the door slowly. "Hurry up!" Iwate snapped. Misaki broke into a run, catching the bag that was flung at her before disappearing out the door.   
  
"Boy #2: Haga Insector." Insector smirked, striding to the room and taking the bag. He winced a bit when the bag hit his stomach, but soon he was gone too. From the back of the room, Malik watched in amazement at what was happening. How had this happened? He may have been sadistic and cruel, but he *did* try to avoid murder. He wasn't Bakura. Or his Yami. Malik could feel the evil that was Yami Malik in the back of his mind, just waiting to be let out. If there were ever a time that fear, rage, and confusion would release Yami Malik, this.....*game* would be it. "Girl #2: Saito Kana." As the girl followed her previous classmates exit, Malik began to seriously think about what was happening.   
  
They, the entire class of 1-B, had been brought against their will to an abandoned island. Their mission was to fight to the death. To fight until only one person was standing. A Battle Royale. Malik had a strong sense of survival. He didn't want to die, no matter how messed up his life had been. "Boy #3: Yoshida Daichi." 'Besides,' Malik though, glancing at Ryou, beside him, 'I can't leave Ryou.' No, he would live. He would also make sure Ryou lived. They would find a way to escape this crazy, messed up game. Not even the Pharaoh could be this cruel in his entertainment.   
  
"Girl #3: Nozaka Miho." Honda let out a strangled choke. He had been sitting on the floor, next to Miho's body. He hadn't worked up the courage to turn her around. Judging by the congealing pool of red around her, the sight wouldn't be pretty. At the sound her name Honda stood up, hands clenched. "Boy #4: Honda Hiroto." Honda stood up. Yugi broke free of Jou and ran to him. "Honda-" he broke off when Honda put his hand on Yugi's shoulder. Yugi stared up at him in confusion. "I'll meet you guys later. Don't worry. They'll never turn me against you, my friends." Honda kneeled down and picked up Miho's body.  
  
Everybody around him recoiled at the sight. Her throat was torn into shreds, along with the bottom half of her face. The movement caused more blood to gush from the wound, but Honda ignored it. He brushed her damp hair away from her face, closed her eyes, and kissed her forehead softly. Everyone, even the soldiers and Iwate, stared at him as he hugged her and laid her gently on the ground. Then he stood back up, took his shoulder bag, and marched to the front of the room. He took the bag thrown at him and went out the door, leaving the silence behind him.  
  
"Girl #4: Nagano Yui." The ever-happy lady called. Yui, one of the most popular and beautiful girls in the class stood up, threw her hair over her shoulder, and walked purposefully to the door. Her boyfriend took a few steps after her before stopping. His head drooped and he went back to his group of friends. More names were called. The students #5 left without much protest.  
Malik was prepared when "Boy #6: Ishtar Malik" was called. He tapped Ryou on the shoulder. "I'll wait for you outside" he mouthed. Ryou nodded, eyes wide with worry and fear.   
  
As Malik left, he sent a nasty look at Iwate. Iwate smiled and put his hand in his pocket, showing a tip of the keypad. Malik looked away, took his bag, and left. He was in a long dark hall filled with more men. They didn't look at his as he passed, acting more like mannequin's then human beings. "Bastards." He muttered to one of them. He didn't respond or even acknowledge Malik's presence. Malik gave him the finger and continued on his way. Finally he came to a door. Assuming that this was the exit of the building, Malik opened the doors and stepped out.  
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Right. So, that's the first chapter. It's so long, for me! Obviously, if any of you have seen Battle Royale, I'm changing some of the details. But that's okay. That's why it's *fanfiction*. I'm trying to keep everyone in character, so sorry, there will be no bashing of the Honda's and Anzu's. Of course, they may die later on anyway.....Did anybody get tired of the B's and R's? Well, that's my new style of separators. Better than stars, I suppose. You like? Questions? I'll probably be fairly slow with getting these chapters out, so I wouldn't expect one more than once a week, if that. Well, maybe the second chapter, but I've already written most of that. Keep in mind that I looked online for all the 'extra's' Japanese names. They *are* Japanese names, but I have no idea what they say. 


	2. First Casualties

Oooh. Chapter 2! Fun! More people die! And...stuff. Yeah. Uh, I forgot whether I put a disclaimer, so for the record, I do not own YuGiOh, or Battle Royale. Nope. It'd be nice, though... Domo Arigatou to my 3 wonderful reviewers, Yami Bakura Kia, Baka-Kura-chan, and Jounouchi Katsuya!!   
Some people asked if this was going to be Yaoi. I can honestly say that.....I'm not quite sure. Definitely nothing really explicit. I think I may have something between Jou and Yami/Yugi, but I don't know yet. Even if I did, it wouldn't be much. And there will be something else, kind of yaoi-ish, but I can't tell you without ruining future chapters.   
  
'Thoughts'  
  
/Hikari to Yami/  
  
\Yami to Hikari\  
  
^Cheesy Sound Effects^  
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Outside it was dark a humid. They seemed to be in the middle of a jungle, complete with trees, unusual plant life, and bugs. Malik sighed and walked to a cope of trees a few meters away. He sat down behind a bush and opened the bag that had been given to him. 'Let's see what weapon I got.' Malik thought. After that episode with Miho, there would no doubt be scared, homicidal kids running around. They wouldn't have any qualms about killing somebody if it meant that they would live.   
  
He needed something to protect himself with besides the knife inside the Sennen Rod. 'With my luck, though' Malik thought as pulled out a few water bottles and dry food, 'I'll get something stupid like another knife or a.....' Malik stared at the furry blue earmuffs his hand had found. This couldn't be it. This *couldn't* be his weapon. He dug around in his bag for a few more seconds. When he was sure there wasn't anything else in there but a flashlight, he dropped the earmuffs and raised his hands to the sky. "Why me?!" He whispered heatedly. Did Allah hate him? If it weren't for his Item, Malik would be worried.   
  
The bushes around Malik rustled, and Malik hastily threw his 'weapon' in the direction of the sound. "Who is it?" He snarled, reaching for his Item. "Don't even think of killing me. You'll regret it." A gasp sounded from the foliage, and Ryou's white hair appeared, along with the rest of him. "Malik? What is this? Earmuffs?" He held the object that had hit his face in his hand, offering it to Malik. Malik took it and stuffed it and the rest of his supplies in his bag. "Yeah. That's the weapon I get, I suppose. 'Nobody has an unfair advantage'" he mocked, voice high. Ryou gave a shaky laugh. "If that's yours, I don't want to see mine. Whatever it is, though, it's heavy." He shook the pack he was wearing. Malik patted the rock, indicating that Ryou should sit.   
  
"Is everyone else out?" He asked as Ryou began emptying the contents of his bag. Ryou nodded. "Yeah," he said distantly, reading the food package labels, "I'm Boy# 15, so only the girl after me was left. Yugi and his friends were gone before I out." Malik snorted. Ryou still talked with Yugi-tachi, not seeming to see that he would never fit in their group. Malik didn't hate Yugi anymore, but that didn't mean he wanted to be friends. He didn't know what Ryou saw in them. "Malik," Ryou said, biting his lip, "Do you think that Iwate-san was serious when-Oh!"  
  
alik's head snapped up when he heard Ryou's gasp/squeak. He looked at his face, and then his gaze dropped to his hands. Ryou was holding a brand new, shiny, handheld machine gun, along with a belt of ammo. Malik almost laughed at the look of guilt on Ryou's face. He had probably never held a gun in his life. "I don't believe it." Malik whispered. "I get the fucking earmuffs, and you get *this*. Is this justice?" Ryou held out the firearm to Malik hastily. Malik took it and cradled it in his arms, examining it. After a minute, which Ryou spent biting his nails and glancing around nervously, Malik whistled. "This is a fine piece of metal, you have here. Look at this. It can fire about 10 shots a second, or you can change it to a slower speed." He grinned at Ryou. Ryou stared back at him. "You don't expect me to use that, do you?" He whispered frantically. Malik shrugged. "Maybe in self defense. Who knows. I personally haven't tried to get to know everyone in our class, so I have no idea of what they're capable of. You?" Malik placed the machine gun in Ryou's lap. Ryou made no effort to pick it up.   
  
"I don't know." He said slowly, picking up a leaf and shredding it. "Some of them might, if they thought they would die otherwise, maybe. Others never would. Yugi, Jou, Honda, Otogi, Anzu. They wouldn't hurt anyone." Malik raised his eyebrows. "I don't know. Honda looked pretty mad earlier. I think he could....." Ryou covered his ears. "Malik, please!" he cried. Malik laughed. Ryou sighed and picked up another leaf. Suddenly he covered his mouth. "What?" Malik asked lazily. Ryou shushed him frantically with his hands. 'Huh?' Malik thought. Maybe Ryou was hearing something?   
  
Malik concentrated on the forest noise. There! Malik could hear it now. The sound of footsteps and loud breathing. Malik grabbled the machine gun and hastily loaded it with the magazine on Ryou's belt. When it was finally ready he cocked and aimed it in the direction of the sound, which was growing louder. Ryou was holding on to Maliks arm, eyes wide and scared. Malik noticed that he unconciously gripped his Sennen Ring tightly.   
  
A person burst out of the tree's, waving his arms and opening his mouth in a silent scream. His clothes were bloody and had long gashes ripped into his torso and arms. A long trail of blood ran from one cheek to the other, and you could just barely make out red teeth beyond the flesh. Brown eyes rolled around wildly before settling on the white haired boy. "Hel.....ee....." he croaked, falling to his knees and clutching Ryou's pants. Ryou yelled out and pushed himself away from the fallen boy, scrambling as far away as he could get on his hands and knees. Malik lowered the gun and ran after Ryou, picking up their bags as he went. The boy stared after them, ignoring the dribbling from his mouth. "Nnoo.....nooo.....I-" He froze. Now he could barely make out the sound of somebody behind him. He twisted himself around and glanced into a dark, solemn face. He saw the flash of the blade that had already assaulted him and would now finish the job.   
  
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V **********Boy #3: Yoshida Daichi Dead. 28 to Go. *******  
  
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Jou froze as he heard a high pitched call. "Did you hear that?" he asked. Yugi looked behind him. "Yeah. I think it was a night bird or something. Come on Jou, we have to find somewhere safe to spend the night." Jou ran to catch up with them. He, Yugi, Anzu, Honda, and Otogi had all decided to stick together. "You don't believe anybody's going to listen to that maniac, do you Yugi?" Otogi asked, referring to Iwate. Yugi shook his head. "No way. But, like you said, Iwate isn't exactly sane. Who knows what he's set up on this island." Everyone nodded, except Honda, who had been in his own world ever since they found him. Yugi shot a concerned look at his friend. "Honda? I know that-" he swallowed. "I know that this has been very hard on you. But you need to be more aware. Don't forfeit your own life. Miho wouldn't have wanted you to." He said softly. Honda's eyes met Yugi's. "Forfeit my life?" he whispered, "She wouldn't want it? Miho never knew me. She.....she didn't like me. I was the last thing she saw. Ryou should have been the one instead. Then she could have died-" he sniffed, wiping his eye, "happy."   
  
Everyone had stopped walking and was watching Honda sadly. "Oh, Honda." Anzu whispered. She walked up to him and hugged him tightly, as a friend would. Yugi joined them, followed by Jou. Honda sobbed once and pulled them closer, not caring if he wasn't' being 'manly'. Otogi hung around them, feeling uncomfortable. He was there friend, sure, but they had something far deeper than he had ever had. "How sweet. A foursome." A whiny, high-pitched voice called. Everyone broke away, startled. A low laugh sounded from the opposite direction of the original voice, behind the group, and they spun around to try to glimpse at the intruders. Jou recognized the first voice, though. "Haga." He growled, peering through the dark terrain. "Where are you, you little bug. Come out so I can squash you." Insector Haga stepped out from the shadows. "If you're there," Anzu said, voice wavering, "then who's over that way?" she jerked her head to the direction the laugh had come from. Dinosaur Ryusaki appeared, a pistol gripped casually in his right hand. "Just me." He said, winking.   
  
"What are you doing with that?" Jou hissed, eyeing the gun and unconsciously pushing Anzu and Yugi behind him. Dinosaur made his way across the clearing to join Insector. "Well," he said, half shrugging, "Iwate *did* say we had to kill each other off. The quicker the better. And you five look like easy pickings. I bet you haven't even looked in your bags yet, have you?" he sneered. Him and Insector exchanged amused glances. "Of course you haven't." Insector spat. "Because you're weak. We, on the other hand, know how to take advantage of a situation when we come across one." He stepped closer to the group, revealing the short scythe he had shoved in his belt. Dinosaur fingered his firearm. "Without weapons, you losers are all defenseless. You, Yugi, Jou, have caused me quite some problems over in Duelist Kingdom." Dinosaur said. Insector took the scythe out and swung it around a few times. "And Battle City." He added, glaring at Jou.   
  
Jou stared at them, face expressionless. "Put the gun down, Ryusaki. And that.....thing, Haga. We don't want to fight you." He said slowly, as if dealing with children. Yugi stepped out from behind Jou eagerly. "We're going to find a way off of this island!" he said. "You can come too! Just don't do anything....irrational." Dinosaur twitched. "Irrational?" he asked quietly. Then he laughed, eyes shining. "Irrational?!" He raised the gun and aimed at Yugi's head, keeping one eye closed for better aim. "I don't think I'm being irrational. I actually think this is quite enjoyable. I'm having fun. What about you, Haga?" Haga stared warily at the deranged looking Dinosaur. "Yes, Ryusaki. Very much fun. Just finish them off quickly and let's go, before somebody else finds us." Dinosaur snorted. He concentrated on Yugi, aiming carefully. "Wait a second!" Jou yelled, voice panicked. "You can't just kill us! What did we do to you? Uh, I mean, that deserves this?" He tried to push Yugi back behind him. "Don't move!" Insector shouted. Jou froze, as did everyone else. Dinosaur smiled. "Three.....two....on-"   
  
^TATTATTAT--BANG-TATTAT^   
  
Anzu dropped to her knees, screaming bloody murder as loud gunfire sounded rapidly. Jou jumped on top of Yugi, feeling a rushing pass his head as a bullet went by. Otogi was down on the ground yelling something about being forgiven for his sins and Honda had fallen in surprise. Jou had one last glimpse of a startled Dinosaur and Insector before they scuttled away through the trees. "ANZU! Shut up! They're gone, Anzu! Otogi! Quiet!" Jou shouted, trying to make himself be heard. Otogi looked around warily, and Anzu stopped screaming, leaving only an echo that bounced around the trees. "That wasn't a pistol." Jou said dully. Honda shook his head. "It was a machine gun. I'm sure of it." He answered. "There's somebody else?" Yugi asked, whimpering. The group sat up warily, looking around in the dark woods. "Who's there?" Jou asked. A pale face poked out from the trees. "Yugi? Jou? Is anybody hurt?" Ryou Bakura looked scrutinized his surroundings closely before hesitantly limping over to the group. He was followed by Malik, who was turning around in every direction and holding the gun Honda had mentioned.   
  
"Ryou!" Yugi said as Ryou sat down next to them, "Where have you been? I think you saved my life. Thank you!" He was crying slightly, but attempting to stop the flow of tears. He happened to glance down at Ryou's legs. "What happened!? Your pants have blood on them-" Ryou smiled tiredly. Malik joined them. "It's nothing, Yugi, I'm fine. That's not my blood." Everyone was quiet for a moment. "Sorry." Malik said, looking at Jou. "I meant to stop him before he fired, but I didn't know if he really would shoot. I fired into the air, but the surprise made him pull the trigger. Luckily he also lost his aim, or more than the side of your head would be damaged." Jou looked at him in confusion. Malik reached out and wiped a trickle of liquid off from right above Jou's temple and showed it to him. "Huh." Jou said, feeling the shallow wound. "I didn't even know it was there. Anyone have some bandages?"  
  
Yugi took off his school jacket and tried to rip the sleeves off. "I can't do it." He said finally. "Have you looked in your bags yet?" Malik asked suddenly. They all looked at him. "No." Anzu said. "We refuse to play this game." Malik nodded. "That's fine, but one of you might have a knife, and you could make bandages from that." Nobody except him and Ryou knew that his Rod could also be used as a knife, and he didn't feel like sharing the information. "Good idea." Jou said, picking up his bag from where he had dropped it. He rummaged around in it for a moment. "Let's see....." He pulled out water bottles and ramen soup packages, which Malik quickly grabbed. "I didn't get these either." He whined. "Wait, one more bottle. A heavy one." Jou said. Then Jou pulled out a grenade. He and everyone else stared at it for a few seconds. "Ahh!" he yelled, throwing it away from him. Everyone screamed, expecting it to go off upon landing. The all shied away from the small explosive, but after a few seconds it became clear that nothing was happening.  
  
"Um, I don't have a knife with me." Jou said, laughing nervously. Anzu sighed and pulled her bag closer to her. Honda and Yugi followed suit. Jou left to go and pick up the grenade so somebody wouldn't step on it by accident. "Anything?" He asked. Anzu held up a lighter, a dull expression on her face. "Hey," Malik said, "At least it's not earmuffs." She looked at him strangely. "Honda?" Jou asked hopefully. Honda showed him the rope he had found in his bag. "Otogi?" Otogi shook his head, shrugging. "Yugi?" Yugi blushed. "Uh, I guess this will work." He said, brandishing a short sword in front of them. It was rather plain, as far as swords went, with a silver blade and a dull brown hilt, but it was sharp. Very sharp.   
  
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"I was *this* close." Dinosaur growled. He and Insector had gone who knew how far before they stopped. "I could've killed them right there, and I wouldn't have gotten trouble for it. How many times do you get opportunities like that? Who the hell had the other gun, anyway?" He punched a random tree, the sweared heavily. "Moron." Insector muttered underneath his breath as Dinosaur danced around clutching his hand. "They're probably dead, now." He said, louder. "At the very least, I noticed that the bullet you shot hit Jounouchi. That counts for something, I suppose." Dinosaur humped and waved his arm about. "Yeah yeah. What do we do know? Go find someone else?" Insector nodded. "Yes, precisely. I need a different weapon. Sharp objects aren't really my style." He said, indicating the scythe.   
  
Dinosaur laughed nastily. "Did you have a bad experience with the barber, one day when you were getting your hair cut in that stupid way?" Insector sneered at him. "If I were you, I wouldn't be talking about bad haircuts." He said, eyeing the hat the covered Dinosaurs unbelievably messy hair. "What's with the stupid purple bang?" he asked, continuing his earlier walk. Dinosaur followed him, mumbling about the weight of the bag he had to carry. "It's not stupid." He said defensively.   
  
Insector was just beginning to reply sarcastically when they came upon Roba Esper, sleeping next to a tree. "Well, well, well." Insector smiled. "This must be our lucky day. Yet another unarmed fool. Kill him." Dinosaur pulled out his pistol and stepped up to Esper. "Nighty night, freak." He crooned, putting the gun to Espers head. The cold metal caused Espers eyes opened. "What-" he stared at Insector in front of him, and then turned his head slightly, eyes meeting the guns barrel. "No! Don't do this to me! You can't! You....If you do the future will be very sorry for you, very sorry!" Dinosaur growled and hit Esper over the head with the object. "Freak. You can't tell the future. You only beat me at Battle City by cheating. Too bad," he grinned, watching Esper stagger to his feet and back away, "Now your brothers won't have anyone to take care of them."   
  
Esper broke into a run, pushing past Insector in his haste to escape. "Get him, you idiot!" Insector howled. Dinosaur ran after the green haired boy, trying to aim while still running. ^BANG^ Esper faltered for a moment, but was apparently uninjured. He kept running, while still trying to search through his bag. ^BANG^ This time, Esper dropped. "All right!" Dinosaur cheered. He had shot Esper in the leg. There was no way he would get away now. "Now for the final blow." He murmured, kneeling next to a wide-eyed Esper. He put the gun about a foot from Espers forehead. "Can't get out of this one!" he chuckled. Dinosaur was taken by great surprise when Esper suddenly swung an axe at him. "Shiiiitt!" Dinosaur screeched, dropping the bloody gun. "You God damn Freak!" They both looked at the firearm on the dirt, and at the thumb and forefinger still attached to it. Dinosaur grabbed the axe from Espers hand. Esper hadn't been paying attention. He was as shocked as Dinosaur was at his actions. He hadn't meant to hurt anyone, just to scare him off. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"  
Dinosaur was not forgiving. He swung his newly acquired blade at Esper, not caring where it landed. Since he was forced to use his left hand, his aim wasn't that good anyway. "Uhghhhh....." Esper whimpered, staring down at the axe imbedded in his stomach. "Noooo." Dinosaur was seeing red, literally and figuratively. He wrenched the axe out and struck again and again, tearing into the poor boy. "Freak! Freak!" He yelled, hacking up Espers guts and lungs. Blood spattered onto Dinosaurs face and hands but he ignored it. Esper was making a high pitched wheeze, which was the only scream he could muster.   
  
Finally, after an eternity, Esper stopped twitching. Dinosaur hadn't noticed, but an arm shot out and grabbed the hand holding the axe. "He's dead, Ryusaki. Don't waste time. Lets go." Insector said. Dinosaur glared at him. For a moment Insector stood very still, afraid Dinosaur would attack him too. Then Dinosaur stood up straight, took off his undershirt, and wrapped it around his drenched hand. "I need some bandages." He stated. Insector nodded. "I'm sure there's an abandoned clinic somewhere on this island. Come on." They walked off through the woods, leaving Esper to the bugs.  
  
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V***********Boy #4-Roba Esper Dead. 27 to Go.*******  
  
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"Oh God! Nakamura-kun, look!" Aya Hidaka shrieked. Tsubasa Nakamura took a swift glance at the mangled body of their classmate before turning himself and Aya away. "Nakamura-kun, was that....." Aya hesitated. "Was that Yoshida-kun?" She finished. Tsubasa nodded heavily. "I think it was." He said, recalling his old friend's body. Aya's face screwed up as she attempted to hold her tears in. "Nakamura-kun, what are we going to do?" she whispered. Tsubasa took a deep breath. "I think.....that what we were planning earlier would be it." he said. Aya stared at him. "Do you think so?" she asked quietly. Tsubasa looked back at her, gazing at her eyes. "I'm never going to kill my friends. I don't want them to have to kill me." Aya started crying. "You're right." She sniffed. "Let's go. We must-must be almost there."   
  
They walked through the darkness until they finally reached their destination. "Is this the only way, though?" Tsubasa asked the wind, beginning to doubt himself. Aya grabbed his arm. "It is. I....I'm glad you came with me, Nakamura-kun." She murmured, looking over the cliffs they were standing on. Beneath the cliffs, about 200ft down, ocean waves crashed against the rocks. "Please, Hidaka-chan. Call me Tsubasa." Tsubasa said. Aya's knees gave out and she and Tsubasa fell to the ground. "And you call me Aya, Tsubasa-kun." She sobbed, hugging him. Tsubasa pulled her to his chest, holding her tightly. After a minute, she pushed away and stood up, and Tsubasa copied her actions. "This may not be the right thing," she said, noticing that the sun was beginning to come up, "But I will never play their game!" She through her bag that had been given to her over the cliffs. Tsubasa threw his also, then took her hand. "Goodbye, Aya." He said softly. "Goodbye, Tsubasa." They jumped off the cliffs, still holding hands and facing the rising sun.  
  
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V************Boy #12-Nakamura Tsubasa-Dead  
  
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V************Girl #10-Hidaka Aya-Dead. 25 to Go.  
  
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*Sob* That last part was actually in the movie, except I changed names and roles and conversation and such. But it was so sad!! I had to put it in. Uh. Right. So, that's chapter two. Any questions, comments, concerns? I hope I'm keeping the characters in.....character. And don't worry, there will be plenty of Yami Bakura in later chapters. ^^ You know, I don't think I'm really good with murder scenes.....That's too bad. 


	3. It Gets Interesting

Third Chapter. It's Bakura and Yami Malik!! I'm calling Yami Bakura 'Bakura' and Yami Malik 'Yami Malik', so expect that. I also edited the first two chapters, though mainly the first one.   
  
Thanks again to the only people who seem to feel like reviewing, Yami Bakura Kia, Baka-Kura-chan, and Jounouchi Katsuya!  
  
'Thoughts'  
  
/Hikari to Yami/  
  
\Yami to Hikari\  
  
^Cheesy Sound Effects^  
  
Don't laugh at my cheesy sound effects! I don't own any guns, so they only knowledge I have about them is limited. I'm kind of winging it, here.  
  
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Malik jumped awake as he heard a loud crackling coming from somewhere above him. "Good morning, Battle Royale participants! This is Iwate, greeting you and telling you that it is currently 6:30! Time to wake up!" Everyone around Malik, which included Ryou, Jou, Ryou, Otogi, Honda, and Anzu were sitting up and looking around in confusion. Malik watched their faces in grim amusement as one by one they all remembered where they were and what was happening. "I hope you all had an invigorating, grand time last night!" Iwate said. "Where is that coming from?" Jou asked, annoyed. The group looked around, searching the trees, then Anzu pointed to a loudspeaker wired to a tree. "There." She said, yawning. Jou groaned and threw a rock at the speaker, but missed by several meters.   
  
"Time for a list of the dead!" Iwate said. Malik snapped completely awake immediately. Even if he didn't know many people in his class, he still wanted to know who was still alive. "Hey," Jou said uneasily, "Where's Kaiba? I haven't seen him since the room. You don't think *he* could be one of the-" "No!" Anzu cried. "Don't even say it! This is bad enough as it is." Jou lowered his head, ashamed. "Sorry." He mumbled. Anzu sighed, rubbing her head with her fingers. "Okay! First of all, we have Yoshida Daichi!" Ryou gasped. "That was the one who we saw!" he hissed. "I remember him now! I didn't know him too well, but....." Malik patted Ryou's shoulder. "His problems are over now." He said.  
  
"Next we have Roba Esper!" Everyone recognized this name. "Geeze!" Jou cried. "That was the guy I beat! The one with all the brothers!" "Roba's dead?" Yugi whispered. Inside his soul room, Yami tried to comfort the young teen. /Let me take over, Yugi./ he insisted, as he had throughout the night. Again Yugi refused. \Yami, it's okay! I'm not in any immediate danger, and if I am, you can take over! For now try to get some sleep. I know that those drugs they gave us on the plane affected you in some way.\ Yami grumbled around a bit, but backed down. He vowed to continue to keep watch, though.  
  
"Third, we have Nakamura Tsubasa! And fourth, Hidaka Aya, the only girl so far." Anzu, Yugi, Jou and Ryou bowed their heads. "I always thought they would make the cutest couple." Anzu murmured. "People," Iwate's voice spoke, "this is pathetic! You can do better than this! Come on, be Battle Royal Champs! Win! Win!" a sigh was heard. "You're next report is at noon. I'm hoping for more than only four people to name, next time." A crackling told them that Iwate was gone. They all looked up startled, when Honda stood up suddenly. "Honda, what is it?" Yugi asked, getting up to follow Honda as he began to walk away. "I've got to go to the bathroom." Honda grunted, continuing to distance himself from the others. Yugi stopped. "Okay....." he said uncertainly. "Hey, want me to come? No offense, but a rope isn't going to help you any." Jou observed, pointing to the said object in Honda's hand. Honda waved Jou away and soon disappeared from sight. Jou sighed and flopped down on the ground. "Now what?" He asked.   
  
"YAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! DIIIIIIIIEEEEE!" An inhumanly loud voice shrieked. "Iiiee!" Anzu shrieked, jumping around to find the source of the sound. Ryou shouted as a girl with messy pigtails ran at him, brandishing a dagger. "Ryou!" Malik yelled. He was too far from him to get there in time to stop the girl. "Run, Ryou!" Malik yelled. Ryou turned towards him and began running as fast as he could. Everyone else had scattered away, still in sight but not within reach of the girl. "Malik!" Ryou cried. Malik grabbed the gun Ryou had given him from its place on his back. "Duck, Ryou!" He called. He cocked the machine gun and pointed it at the oncoming girl. But Ryou was still in the way, standing in front of Malik with a dazed look on his face. "Move it! She's going to stab you!" He yelled, frustrated. Ryou looked at the machine gun in Maliks hands, and then looked behind him at the girl. She was about ten feet away now. "MOVE!" Malik shouted, trying to move around the frozen boy.   
  
He was caught by surprise when the gun was suddenly wrenched forcibly from his hand, causing it to discharge harmlessly into the trees. "What the hell? Ryou what are you.....Oh. Oh.....damn!" The Sennen Ring on Ryou's chest was glowing brightly, and Ryou's hair was spikier then ever. His eyes, which had been closed momentarily, were now open. They were dark, dark brown, and much narrower then normal. Bakura laughed, highly amused at the shocked look on Maliks face. He heard the girl behind him and swung around, firing the machine rapidly.  
  
^TATTATATTATTATTATATATATATATTATTATTATTATTATATTAT^  
  
The girl jerked backward with each bullet, as if she was a puppet on a string. Blood blossomed on her uniform, making cheerful spots, and the dagger fell to the ground. By the time a grinning Bakura ceased firing, she was face down on the ground, motionless. Nobody spoke for a moment. They couldn't hear anything except the ringing in their ears. Malik watched as Bakura stepped up to the body, kicking at it to turn it around. The girl, barely alive, blinked and uttered a small groan. Bakura snorted and pointed the gun at her head.   
  
^TATTATTAT^  
  
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V********Girl #1-Suzuki Misaki Dead. 24 to go.  
  
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Malik watched all this in horror. Bakura had taken over Ryou's body again. Knowing Bakura's sadistic nature and love for blood, he would probably have a great time here. Who knew when, or even if, he would let Ryou take control of his own body again. Malik had failed as a big brother. He couldn't help Ryou now. There was nothing he could do. "You-" Malik stuttered, stumbling to the dark spirit and pointing a finger, "You.....Ryou.....he can't-" Bakura smirked and slung his gun's strap over his shoulder. Then he reached out to Malik and unhooked the belt of magazines from his torso, with no resistance from Malik. Then Malik got his senses back. "You can't do that!" He yelled, trying to push Bakura away. Bakura growled and hit Malik upside the head. "Shut up." He said, yanking the belt off and putting it on himself.   
  
If there was one thing Malik hated, it was being hit. It reminded him too much of his father, and that night he got the scars on his back. "Don't.....you.....touch me, Bastard. Why don't you do everyone a favor and die?" Malik said through clenched teeth. Bakura smirked. "Don't touch you?" he asked, seemingly innocent. Before Malik knew it, Bakura had crouched down beside the dead girl's body and swiped the dagger she had. Then he appeared behind Malik, holding the blade to Malik's throat. "Even to kill you?" he breathed. Malik's pupils contracted into pinpricks. His breath shortened and he soon found himself struggling for air. "I. Said. DIE!" He screamed. The Sennen Rod in his belt radiated light, and by the time it faded Bakura found himself face to face with Yami Malik, who looked exactly the same as when Bakura last saw him. Drugged, sleepy eyes and electrocuted-looking hair, thrown together with an unstable mind.  
  
"I thank you, Bakura." Yami Malik said silkily, reaching up one hand to caress the blade against his throat. Bakura stared at him. He had thought Yami Malik was gone for good. "I would have never been able to gain control without my host getting so angry. Only you could do that, isn't that *right*?" he jerked the blade away, ignoring the deep cuts he earned himself. Bakura growled, hanging onto the hilt of the knife. "Well if it isn't the result of Malik's psychotic mind. I believed you to be dead. From what I heard, you were eaten by a God Card." Yami Malik sneered in answer. "I can never truly die." He stated.  
  
Bakura stared at him intently, still holding one side of the knife, while Yami Malik held the other. "I suppose that's why Malik didn't use his Rod before." He said abruptly. "If he had used it on the officer, you would have been released immediately, is that it?" He asked nonchalantly. Yami Malik nodded, narrow eyes observing Bakura, wondering what he was up to. He was taken by surprise when Bakura suddenly shoved his end of the dagger into Yami Malik's palm. Laughing insanely at Yami Malik's enraged look, he used the distraction to run off into the trees, taking Malik's bag as he went.  
  
Yami Malik pulled the knife out slowly, his expression never changing. He threw the bloody weapon to the ground where it struck the body of the girl Bakura had killed. Then he walked off in Bakura's direction, obviously in no hurry. Yugi, Anzu, Jou, and Otogi had been watching the exchange silently. Yami was demanding to be let out, but so far Yugi had managed to repress him. He didn't want to be shut in his soul room, even if he *could* see what was happening. /Yugi! Let me out this instant! It's not safe for you! Now that Yami Bakura and Yami Malik are out, everyone is in danger unless I do something!/ Yami shouted from his own soul room. \Not yet, Yami!\ Yugi responded. It wasn't needed yet. "Uh," Jou stuttered, breaking the silence, "Has anyone seen Honda?"  
  
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'Goodbye, cruel world.' Honda thought ruefully. He tugged at the rope he had fastened securely around his neck, and checked again to make sure he wouldn't hit the ground when he jumped off the tree branch. He took a deep breath. This was it. He was going to end his own life before someone could end it for him. Honda had lost the thing that had meant the most to him in the world. No amount of friendship Jou and Yugi could offer and give would make up for his Diamond. Even though Miho had never loved him, or even given any hints of interest, she had still been the light of his life. He had lived each day in hope that soon, soon she would grow to love him back. Day after day he had been denied that, but it only made his affection for Miho grow stronger. He was content simply to gaze at her.  
  
When she had died, when she had been brutally murdered, his heart had shattered, and he lost the will to live on anymore. 'No. I'm sorry, Yugi. Jou. Anzu. My friends. I can't face it anymore. I have nothing to live for! I must do this!' He took one last breath before sidling to the edge of the branch he was on and letting go of the trunk. This was it, all he had to do now was fall forward. Just one tiny movement would end his life. Gone. Sixteen years wasted. To join Miho, wherever her soul had ended up. To a better, sweet place, he was sure, where all the innocent and kind souls traveled after their life on Earth had passed.   
  
His would surely follow, since he had never done anything to merit going anywhere else. But then.....didn't suicide count as a bad deed? Honda froze and clutched the trunk of the tree again. Would he be able to join Miho when he died? What if he didn't? What if he ended up spending the rest of eternity in Hell, or it's equivalent? Because without Miho, he might as well be in Hell. At least while he was alive, he could occasionally escape the pain, thanks to his friends. 'No! I can't let myself be distracted! I have to do this. Now!' Honda told himself firmly.  
  
But he couldn't do it. His courage was lost, now. He growled. "Come on, Hiroto!" He said out loud. "No. Yes! No. YES! NO!" He was shouting up to the sky's, fighting with himself.   
  
^TATTATATTATTATTATATATATATATTATTATTATTATTATATTAT^   
  
Honda yelled out in surprise, and almost fell out of the tree. 'Was that a gun?' he asked himself, bewildered. Then he heard it again, shorter this time.   
  
^TATTATTTAT^   
  
It was coming from somewhere in the distance, over towards....."Yugi!" Honda gasped. "Jou, Anzu, Otogi! Who is it? Who has a-Malik! That little bastard. He betrayed them! I know it!" He pulled furiously at the rope, trying to undo it. He couldn't contemplate with himself whether to die now. He had to save his friends. He had to do something useful! He couldn't let another person he cared about die, while he could help it. "Yugi!" He called out, still struggling with the knot, "Guys, I'm coming! Hold on!"   
  
"Heh. What do you know. The idiot looking for an idiot's way out." Honda looked up in surprise. Ryou was standing below him on the ground, holding the gun Malik had held last night and looking quite proud of himself. "Ryou?" Honda asked. Ryou rolled his eyes in annoyance. "How blind can you get?" He snarled. Then, "Don't let me stop you. Continue with your previous actions." He smirked, but at a noise only he heard behind him, in the trees, he ran past Honda and into the undergrowth without another word. "What.....the....." "You." A low voice called. Honda looked back in the direction Ryou had originally come from. It was Malik. Only this time even Honda could see that it wasn't really Malik. "You!" He growled, unknowingly repeating Yami Malik's introduction. "Where did he go?" Yami Malik asked, in a disinterested tone. "Where did who go? You're dead! Why are you here? Wait.....if you're here, than that must be Bakura who just went by!" He said, realizing who 'Ryou' really was.  
  
Yami Malik clapped sarcastically. "Where did he go?" He asked again. Honda sneered. "I don't help villains." He said. Yami Malik frowned. "What are you doing?" He asked Honda, eyeing the rope that was still around his neck. Honda started. "Uh, I.....none of your business. He went that way," Honda said, pointing, "Now leave me alone." Honda spat. Yami Malik grinned and stepped closer to Honda. "Or what?" He asked, tauntingly. "You'll kick me? Can't do that. You're out of reach. Or are you going to jump off that tree in order to get to me? Go on. Try it." Honda snarled at him. He broke a twig off of the tree and threw it at Yami Malik, missing him. Yami Malik looked behind him, where the twig landed. Then he looked in the direction Honda had told him Bakura went. He thought for a moment, then seemed to come to a conclusion.   
  
"What are you doing?" Honda asked nervously. Yami Malik smiled and continued to climb the tree Honda was perched on. "Get away!" Honda shouted. As soon as Yami Malik was within range, he began to kick at him frantically. "Get-Away! Go! I have to help Yugi and Jou and Anzu!" He cried out when Yami Malik's hand shot up and grabbed his foot. They were about ten feet from the ground. Honda tried to shake Yami Malik off, but he wouldn't let go. Instead he put his other hand on Honda's foot. Then he pulled himself up an inch, hanging onto his ankle. Honda was being tugged down by Yami Malik's weight. 'As long as he stays in the tree....." Honda thought, pulling his leg up with all his might, 'I'll be okay.' . But then Yami Malik jumped out of the tree, dragging Honda with him. Yami Malik landed gracefully on his feet, still holding Honda's ankle. But since Honda had been jerked down so abruptly, and at such an odd angle with the noose still tied around his throat his neck had broken. He blinked in shock, wondering why he couldn't move. For an instant, he could have sworn he saw Miho, smiling at him, the sun shining behind her. 'Just like that?' he asked himself, confused. Then his life went dark.  
  
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V***********Boy #4-Hiroto Honda Dead. 23 to Go.  
  
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Kaiba strode through the forest, kicking at fallen sticks and rocks in his way. He held the weapon he was given in front of him, staring down at it every few minutes to make sure nothing had changed. "Beep." The weapon emitted. Kaiba glanced at it, then at his surroundings. "Beep. Beep." Kaiba crept behind a nearby tree, covering his weapon with his hand to mute the beeping. He watched in amazement as who he instantly recognized as Bakura, Ryou's Yami, ran by. Bakura paused for a moment as one of his Sennen Ring's spikes pointed in Kaiba's direction. Kaiba held his breath. Bakura looked at Kaiba's hiding spot, then behind his own shoulder. He smirked. Then he ran on, leaving Kaiba alone again. "Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep." Kaiba let a quiet, frustrated noise. Who was it now? His eyes widened when he saw Yami Malik waltz past, not even sparing a glance towards Kaiba. Wasn't he supposed to be dead?  
  
When Yami Malik had also gone, and the beeping had quieted, Kaiba straightened and went in the opposite direction the two Yami's had come from. He had heard gunshots (from the machine gun Bakura was carrying, he now realized) earlier and wanted to see if anyone he knew was hurt.   
  
It took about fifteen minutes, and he heard them before he saw them. Of course, he knew it was them, or he wouldn't have gone near the sound. But since he was sure it was *only* Yugi, Jou, Anzu and Otogi, he strode up to where they were. Anzu was sobbing, her face buried in Jou's shoulder. Otogi was looking somber, and Yugi had a zoned look on his face that indicated he was conversing with his yami. Kaiba spared a glance at Honda's body, which the group had apparently just found. He cleared his throat, making his presence known. Everyone except Yugi jumped, and three sets of suspicious eyes watched him warily. "What is it, Kaiba?" Jou asked, patting Anzu on the back. Kaiba bowed his head slightly. "I am sorry for the loss of your friend." He said courteously. "I can't say I liked him myself, but he didn't deserve this."   
  
Jou sniffed angrily. "The idiot." He growled. "He killed himself. Just because of Miho. He still had us! I guess we weren't enough." Anzu broke down into tears again. Kaiba looked in surprise at Honda's body. He had assumed that Yami Malik or Bakura had killed him. He knew that they had been with him moments before he died. Kaiba didn't say anything, though. He walked up to Yugi, who looked like he was coming out of his daze/conversation. "Kaiba?" Yugi asked softy. Kaiba nodded. "I came to see if I could help." He said stiffly. Yugi smiled sadly. Jou, Anzu and Otogi came closer when Yugi beckoned them.  
  
"I have to go, now. Yami insists he take over, in case there is more danger. If I never see you again....." Yugi hesitated. Anzu whimpered. "Of course you will, Yugi! Of course you will!" Jou said comfortingly. "We're all going to leave this island together and alive, Yugi." Otogi said, with more confidence than all of them felt. Kaiba listened to their talk with a mixture between disgust at their *warmth* and regret that he had never had friends like this. Not much of the latter, thankfully. Kaiba became aware that Yugi was looking at him, almost expectantly. "I don't plan on dying, so neither should you. I have a brother to take care of." Kaiba said gruffly. Yugi nodded. "Goodbye. I'll see you later.....I hope." Yugi swallowed and closed his eyes. Everyone else followed suit as Yugi's Sennen Puzzle glowed brightly. When they looked again, Yami had taken Yugi's place. He looked seriously pissed off.  
  
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Oh dear. A mad Yami. Whatever will happen next? I wonder.....So, how was Bakura and Yami Malik, eh? Good? Bad? This author loves reviews, so be a good reader and review! ^^ I've got the next chapter (next two chapters, acutally) written, but I probably won't put them up for a few days. Maybe a week, maybe less. 


	4. BANG

Right. Chapter four. I'm going to leave most comments for the end of the chapter, so as not to destroy any 'mood' I may have created. Ha. ^^  
  
'thoughts'  
  
*italics*  
  
/Yugi to Yami/  
  
\Yami to Yugi\  
  
^cheesy sound effects^  
  
~flashbacks~  
  
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"Whoever," Yami said angrily, "Is responsible for this.....this *game*, shall have to deal with me." He growled. Kaiba almost smirked. He unconsciously went back to his normal habit of baiting the old Pharaoh. "Were your 'games' any better?" He asked. Yami glared at him. "I never killed anyone, *Kaiba*." He said, with the special emphasis on Kaiba's name that only he seemed to be able to do. Kaiba shrugged, and the topic was dropped. "Yami," Anzu asked quietly, "What do we do now?" She looked up at Yami with tear filled eyes, biting her lip slightly and playing with her damp hair, blinking her eyes rapidly. Kaiba looked at her, then at Yami. Could she be any more obvious? "I don't know yet, Anzu." Yami sighed, running fingers through his hair. "Don't worry. I'll think of something." He managed to smile at Anzu. 'Apparently not.' Kaiba thought.  
  
"Beep. Beep." Everyone except Kaiba jumped as the small object in Kaiba's hand began beeping. "What is it?" Jou asked. "It's my weapon." Kaiba said, teeth gritted as Jou leaned over Kaiba's shoulder in order to get a closer look. He finally couldn't stand it anymore and pushed Jou away, ignoring the mutts protests. "Someone's coming." Kaiba said flatly. Yami stood up. "How do you know?" He asked, picking up Yugi's bag and the short sword he had been granted. "It's a locator, isn't it?" Otogi asked, gathering his own stuff. Kaiba nodded, watching Anzu and Jou follow Yami and Otogi's lead. "Can you tell who it is?" Otogi asked. Kaiba fiddled with the buttons on the locator for a few moments. "It's Haga and Ryusaki. They're almost here." He said finally. The group froze. Then Yami growled, swinging his sword into a tree. "If they try anything, I'll-" "You'll what?" Insector's whiny voice called. "Haga!" Yami roared, turning around towards the voice. "Bad move." Insector laughed.  
  
^BANG^  
  
A shot rang out from the opposite direction of Insector. Yami gasped and stumbled. "Yami!" Jou and Anzu shouted. "Damn it, Ryusaki! You missed!" Insector complained. "I did not!" Dinosaur denied. "Look! He's bleeding and everything. I think that it's obvious that he was hit!" Insector growled and gestured in Yami's direction. He was clutching his arm and breathing heavily, Jou, Anzu, and Otogi were crowded around him, trying to help. "You hit him in his shoulder!" Insector shouted, stamping his foot. "He's not dead yet!" Dinosaur growled. "Then you kill him, if you're so good at it." He yelled, waving the gun around.  
  
Insector sneered. "Give me the gun and I'll be happy to." The other boy laughed. "What's the matter? Not happy with what you got? I'm sure that there's plenty of people who would *love* your scythe, ungrateful wretch." Insector was just about to reply when he saw Dinosaur hit in the head with a rather large rock, causing him to lose his balance and fall. "RYUSAKI!" Yami yelled, strips of his school uniform wrapped haphazardly around his wound and the eye of Horus glowing brightly on his forehead. His friends were a few feet away from him. "You'll pay for damaging my host!" Dinosaur sat up, rubbing his head. "Your host?" Insector asked, "What are you, a parasite?" He laughed. But then Yami looked at him, and Insector noticed for the first time how deadly 'Yugi' could look. "Ryusaki! Finish him off!" He cried frantically.  
  
Dinosaur felt around in the grass for his firearm, which he had dropped. "I can't find it." He mumbled. "What?" Insector shouted, backing away slightly from the deranged looking Yami, and grasping his scythe. "I can't find it. I dropped it! Get away, dork!" He snarled at Yami, still mistaking him for Yugi. Yami, who was ignoring the heavy bleeding leaking through the bandages from his wound, growled at Dinosaur. When he was about three feet away from him, he stooped down to Dinosaurs height on the ground. He casually picked up the lost gun. "Looking for this?" He asked. Dinosaur gaped at him. Then he pushed himself forward, trying to knock it out of Yami's hands. "Give that back!" He yelled, trying to grab it. Yami pointed the firearm to the ground.  
  
^BANG---BANG---BANG---BANG^  
  
The next time he pulled the trigger, the only sound was a click. Yami made a small noise. "Hmm. Empty." He said softly. He tossed it down, then looked by at Dinosaur. He was huddling on the ground at Yami's feet, terrified that Yami had been about to shoot him. "What are you doing?" He squeaked. He frowned at himself, then sat up. "I mean, what the hell do you think you're doing, Motoh?" He demanded. Yami glared at him. "I think your first question was correct." He growled. Then he dragged Dinosaur up by his collar with his uninjured arm. "You shot me." He stated. "You. Shot. Me." Dinosaur smirked proudly. "Yeah, I did." He boasted, daring to poke Yami's wound. Yami hissed in pain and dropped Dinosaur. "And if you had been smart," Dinosaur grinned, picking up the discarded gun, "You would have shot me back."  
  
He pulled a single bullet from his back pocket and jammed it into its place in the pistol. He pointed it at Yami, who was standing like a deer in headlights. Suddenly Yami's eyes widened. "No! Yugi, don't, I can handle this! Don't come out!" He cried. Dinosaur paused momentarily. "What?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. He yelped as a brightly light engulfed him. "What is this?!" He snarled. "Trying to play tricks on me?" He aimed the gun for the center of the light, wincing as his eyes stung. "Well, nobody beats me!" He fired the last bullet.  
  
^BANG^  
  
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Kouhei Watanabe smiled as his new friend Kana Saito brought him some soup. "Feeling any better?" She asked softly, indicating his broken leg. Kouhei nodded. "Thanks to you. You saved my life. After I fell down that hill, I thought I was a goner for sure." He said gratefully. Kana blushed. "Well. I couldn't just leave you there to die." She said quickly. She motioned towards his soup, which he had yet to touch. "Go on!" She urged. "Eat it! I made it especially for you." She looked at him with bright, shiny eyes. He laughed nervously. "Heh. Okay." He took a small sip of the hot soup, savoring its taste. "Mmmmm! What flavor is this?" He asked, taking another mouthful. "It's so...tangy. Kind of bitter, but in a good way."  
  
Kana stood up. "You never told me what weapon you got." She said suddenly, looking out the window of the empty house they were in and biting her nails. Kouhei sighed. "I already told you that it's not important. I'm not going to kill you, if that's what you're wondering." He said. Kana sneaked a glance at him, then quickly looked away. Kana frowned. "Why are you fidgeting?" He asked slowly. Kana didn't answer. "What's wrong, Saito- chan?" Kouhei asked, voice wavering. He was getting a very uncomfortable, dreading feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
It took him a moment to realize the feeling was growing larger, and sharper. He gasped and clutched the burning area. "Saito!" he choked, "What have you done?" His eyes widened as he felt vomit rising in his throat. He tried to cover his mouth but couldn't. He gave a muffled shout when he saw blood and tissue pour out along with the contents of his stomach. Kouhei groaned as his throat, stomach, and lungs burned in agony. He gave up trying to keep everything in, and instead resigned to watching as he literally threw up his stomach and lungs.  
  
Kana turned away, covering her ears and trying to block out the noise of Kouhei's choking and gasping. When she finally removed her hands, all was silent. She kept her eyes adverted from the body of the boy, and instead knelt by his bag, digging through it eagerly. "Come on." She muttered. "I need a gun or a knife. Poison isn't enough. I need something useful!" She cried out as her hand touched something plastic. Slowly, she took the garbage bag out of the pack, eyes filling with tears. She set it down, then dumped the rest of the contents of the bag out. Nothing. This.....garbage bag, had been his only weapon, then. "I killed for this?" She whispered, pulling at her hair. "What's going to happen to me?"  
  
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V***********Boy #1---Watanabe Kaouhei Dead. 22 to Go.  
  
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Yugi opened his eyes slowly. He gazed at the blue, blue sky above him, deciding that he would try and make shapes out of the clouds. 'Lets see.' He thought hazily, 'There's a cat. That one looks kind of like my hair. There's...Jou's head?' He blinked. No, it wasn't a cloud. Jou was actually standing in above him, talking to him. He had better listen. ".....were really worried, Yugi! How are you? Can you sit up?" Jou was saying. Yugi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was Jou talking abou---'Oh yeah.' Yugi thought. *That*.  
  
~ ^BANG^  
  
Yugi gasped in pain. His eyes traveled down, down, to his thigh. A big, gaping hole was there, now, staining his dirty school uniform red. He reached down to examine it, but his shoulder screamed in protest, as his previous gunshot wound was moved. Yugi's leg couldn't take his weight any longer, and he collapsed. "Ryusaki." His enormus eyes, filled with fear and adrenaline stared at the grim boy in front of him. "Why?" He managed to whisper. Then he blacked out. ~  
  
Yugi sat up painfully, clutching the arm Jou offered. "Where's Ryusaki and Haga?" He groaned. Anzu, who had appeared next to Jou, blushed. "Ah. They're gone." She said quickly. She was looking a little beat up. Her hair seemed shorter than last time her saw her, and her hands were heavily bandaged. She hid them quickly behind her back when she saw Yugi staring. Sensing that she didn't want to talk about it, Yugi instead decided to focus on what had happened. "How?" He asked incredulously. "Bakura and Yami Malik didn't come to save us, did they?" he asked, thinking of the last time Insector and Dinosaur had been harassing them. Anzu shook her head furiously, while Jou and Otogi started to chuckle. "What is it?" asked Yugi. How could they laugh at a time like this? Jou couldn't help it. He burst into a fit of giggles. They sounded a bit hysterical, Yugi noticed.  
  
"It was Anzu!" He laughed. "You should have seen her! She was like a mother hen!" Yugi looked at Anzu. If anything, he was even more confused now then ever. Anzu scowled. "Jounouchi! Shut up! Didn't you see them? Didn't you see Ryusaki?" She hissed. Jou stopped laughing. His face clouded over. "They deserved it." He muttered.  
  
~ ^BANG^  
  
"Yugi!" Anzu screamed. "What? Yugi? I thought Yami....." Jou gasped. Sure enough, Yami was no longer in control. Instead, Yugi was on the ground, bleeding from a leg wound and unconscious. "You missed! Again!" Insector screeched. "Hey! There was that bright light! I couldn't see!" Dinosaur retaliated. "Kill him now! Now!" The boy shouted, afternoon light reflecting off his glasses wildly. Dinosaur grumbled and picked up Yugi by his collar. He turned his gun backwards and prepared to slam it onto the small boy's skull. Just then a shower of dirt and pebbles fell on him. "Huh?" he said stupidly, looking up. Anzu was standing in front of him, holding a small lighter out in front of her and looking very menacing. "Get away from him!" She demanded, voice wavering slightly. Dinosaur sneered. "Or what?" He asked, looking at the lighter. "You'll burn a hole in my clothes?" He dropped Yugi and pushed Anzu back by her forehead. Anzu shrieked and fell backwards, tripping over her small bag she had brought with her.  
  
Dinosaur turned back to the boy on the ground. "Where was I?" he muttered. "Get away from him, I said!" Anzu screamed, clutching her bag, still sitting on the ground. Dinosaur ignored her. Anzu was about to drop her bag and try to pull Dinosaur away from her friend when she felt something cylinder-shaped in her bag. Her eyes widened. "Of course!" She breathed. She opened the bag hastily and pulled out a can. "I'm warning you one last time, Ryusaki." She growled, standing up and holding the can in front of her like a gun. Dinosaur just spat at her feet and prepared to strike Yugi.  
  
"Jou!" She said loudly to the frozen teen, "Grab Yugi and get him away from Ryusaki!" Jou looked at her, confused, but obeyed. He didn't have a plan himself. "Hand him over, Ryusaki." He snapped. Not waiting for him to answer, he kicked Dinosaur in the stomach, then picked Yugi up gently and jogged off with him.  
  
"What are you doing?" yelled Insector, joining the moaning Dinosaur. "Good. Now you're both together." Anzu said rather savagely. She still held the can out in front of her. "Leave right now, or I'll use this! Don't think I won't." Insector peered at the can. "Hairspray?" He chortled. "What are you going to do, make our hair stick up?" He nudged Dinosaur, and they both laughed. Anzu frowned. "You asked for it." She put the lighter she had clutched in her other hand up in front of the nozzle of the hairspray, flicked the lighter on, and then pushed the nozzle down. Suddenly Insector realized what was happening and looked away at the last second.  
  
^FFWCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHUUUUSSSHHHH^  
  
A giant ball of fire lit up the area, singeing and burning everything within ten feet. Anzu grimaced as her fingers got caught in the flames. She kept on pushing the hairspray for a moment longer before dropping both items and grabbing her fingers in pain. She immediately let go when this proved to hurt worse, and instead stared at her burned digits. The fireball raged for a few seconds, then died. "Oh my God." Otogi whispered. He had ventured closer now that the fireball had dissipated, and was staring at the charred forms of Dinosaur and Insector. "Are they dead?" Jou called, from his station with Yugi. Anzu and Otogi stepped closer to the bodies. They jumped back when one of them groaned and twitched. Insector looked up and stared at the pair for a moment. "You.....bitc....." He broke off, coughing. He rolled over and shook Dinosaur. "Ryusaki." He said, voice horse. "Get up, idiot. Do you want to die?" He shook him harder, and finally Dinosaur began to stir. As soon as he was conscious, he opened his eyes.  
  
"Oh my God!" Insector yelped, leaping backwards. Dinosaur began whimpering uncharacteristically. "What is it? What is it? Why can't I see? Everything's dark. Haga! This is your fault, Bastard!" Dinosaur groped around, trying to feel for Insector. Insector could only gape at his sightless eyes. It looked like the pupils and iris's had burned away completely, or at least rolled to the back of his head. His eyes were now a dull red color, from the blood of burst veins. "I can't see! It feels like my eyes melted....." Dinosaur moaned. He stumbled to his feet and began running blindly. His flight was hindered slightly by a tree, and then a low bush, but soon he was out of sight, howling in anguish. Insector took off in the opposite direction, brushing charred skin off himself as he went. Anzu started sobbing, the pain and guilt at what she had done being too much for her. ~  
  
"What time is it?" Yugi mumbled, trying to clear his head. Anzu offered him a water bottle, which he gratefully took. "A little past noon." She said. "Iwate just finished with the noon report." Her voice was bitter, but then she shook herself, and gave Yugi a concerned look. "How are you? We bandaged you up as well as we could." She indicated the blue fabric of Yugi's outer jacket around his shoulder and leg. Yugi gingerly touched both wounds. "They seem okay." He said cautiously. He looked at her hands. "What about you?" he asked. Anzu waved his question away. "It's nothing. I, uh, got scraped by a tree." She said, laughing nervously. Yugi didn't believe it, but respected her wish for his ignorance.  
  
He attempted to stand, but as soon as he placed his weight on his injured leg he stumbled. "Whoa!" Otogi said, catching him and placing him back on the ground gently. "You're not going to be walking for a while." He observed. Yugi grimaced. "How many?" He questioned, looking at Anzu. Anzu frowned. "How many what?" she asked, confused. "How many dead. Who?" Anzu looked down. Kaiba, who Yugi hadn't even noticed since he had been behind the others and out of sight, stepped forward. "Only three." He grunted. "That girl that they said attacked Bakura, Hiroto, and that kid Watanabe. Needless to say, Iwate was very displeased." He said.  
  
Yugi bowed his head. He stayed in this position for almost a minute, and when he looked up again, there were tears in his eyes. "That's three more than had to die." He said, voice breaking. "I won't stand for it!" Once again, seemingly without even Yugi noticing this time, the puzzle glimmered, then blinded them all with light. "Not again." Kaiba grumbled. When they could see again, Yami was out. If he had been mad before, that was nothing compared to what he was now. Without saying anything to his audience, he stood up shakily. "Hey! Yami, what are you doing?" Jou demanded, jogging slowly after Yami, who was limping towards the packs and bags they had piled up.  
  
Yami ignored him, and instead dug around his own bag. When he straightened, he was holding the sword that Yugi had been given as a weapon. Anzu gasped. "Yami!" she said, shocked, "What are you going to do with that?" Yami met her eyes, his gaze intense. "I'm going to exact revenge." He said, voice low. "He injured my hikari, once when I was in control, and one when Yugi was defenseless. He will pay." With that, he hobbled away, favoring his healthy leg. "Do not follow me." He said, without looking back. Nobody did. When he was out of sight, Anzu whispered "But he can't see now."  
  
/Yami. Please listen to me! Don't do this. I don't want you to!/ Yugi pleaded, trying to get Yami to see sense. \Yugi. You don't understand. If I don't do something now, he's going to come back. Do you want him to kill us? Jou, or Anzu maybe?\ Yami replied calmly, walking unsteadily in a direction that he thought he saw fresh footprints in. /We're injured, Yami! You can't fight in your condition! And do you actually want to stab him?/ Yami sighed. Why couldn't Yugi understand? It was them or Dinosaur and Insector. One of them had to go. 'And it won't be us.' Yami thought grimly.  
  
They had been walking for a few minutes in silence. Yugi had given up trying to persuade Yami to turn back. All he could hope for now was that he wouldn't find Insector or Dinosaur. It wasn't that he wasn't mad and upset with the two boys. He was. He was as furious as he ever got, when Dinosaur had shot him. But he didn't want any deaths to hang on Yami's conscious. Yami didn't deserve that. \Yugi!\ Yugi looked up from a half hearted game of solitaire he was playing in his soul room. /What is it, Yami?/ He asked anxiously. Yami wasn't in danger, was he? \I hear something.....I think it's them! I'm going. Yugi. Don't *look*.\ Yami's stern and serious voice said. Yugi nodded hesitantly. /Al.....alright, Yami./ he stuttered, /Please, please be careful./ Yugi felt Yami's mental nod, then he was cut off from the events happening outside his body.'  
  
Yami could hear a shuffling sound close by. It wasn't very often that Yami actually wished he had Bakura's Sennen Ring, but he did now. The Ring could track anything the owner was looking for, not just the other Sennen Items. "Where are you?" Yami growled, prowling about the bushes and poking his sword into a few. He was rewarded by a shout of surprise from one of the bushes. He reached in the plant life and pulled out a hunched Dinosaur, who had his arms over his face and was muttering something over and over. Yami shook him viciously. "Shut up!" He yelled in Dinosaurs ear. Dinosaur shut up. Yami began to pull at Dinosaurs arms, trying to get them away from his face. "What are.....you hiding?" He gritted, pulling with all his might. He was amazed at the resistance Dinosaur put up. "Where's your *buddy*, Haga? Was he afraid you would shoot him too?" Dinosaur didn't answer. Yami became even more infuriated at his silence. He slapped him on his arms, since he couldn't reach his face. "Did he run?!" Yami yelled, hitting him again and again. "Did he abandon you? Guess he wasn't a good friend!" Yami kicked him, and finally Dinosaurs arms fell down limply.  
  
"....." Yami was quiet. Dinosaur stared blankly at him, unseeing. "Go ahead and gloat. Laugh. Feel superior. Go on, Yugi. I dare you." Dinosaur whispered. Yami involuntarily stepped backwards, hypnotized by Dinosaurs lack of sight. "What happened?" He asked hoarsely. Dinosaur gave a bark of laughter. "Why, your girlfriend came to your rescue, Yugi. I guess you weren't really awake, then....." He snickered. An angry flush rose on Yami's face. "Did you try to kill them too, then?" Yami demanded.  
  
Dinosaur didn't say anything for a moment. He appeared to be thinking. Then he smirked. "Yes." He admitted. "I was going to kill them. First I was going to have fun with the girl, while everyone else watched. I was going to strip them of their scalps. Doesn't that sound fun? I think I would have made them eat their own skin, just to see their expressions. Then I was going to take a bath in their warm, red bloo---" Yami punched him hard, in the stomach. Dinosaur gagged. He spit out a bit of blood from a bitten tongue. "What? Did I make you mad?" Dinosaur began to cackle. It was very, very disconcerting. "Do you *want* to die?" Yami screamed, shaking him violently by the shoulders. Dinosaur continued to laugh.  
  
Yami couldn't take the horrible noise anymore. With one swift move, he ran through Dinosaur with his sword. Dinosaur froze. His hands felt around the blade, and the blood dripping from the wound. His face showed no clue to what he was thinking. Yami looked at his own hand, holding the hilt of the sword. "I....I didn't mean....." He pulled the sword out, almost as if that action would undo the weapon being placed in Dinosaurs body in the first place. He gaped at Dinosaur, speechless and in the beginnings of shock. With the removal of the sword, Dinosaur was free to sink to his knees. "Thank you." He gasped. "I'm sorry.....Yugi...." He fell forward, having only enough time to close his eyes one last time.  
  
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V**********Boy #7 Ryusaki Dinosaur Dead. 21 to Go. ******  
  
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Yuuta Fujii sat up quickly as he heard footsteps approaching. He sidled back farther into the little foxhole he had dug for himself and hoped against hope that the person who was coming didn't have malicious intent. Malicious intent. What a laugh. He already had been stabbed twice, fired at with a crossbow, and had rocks thrown at him. It was a miracle he was still alive at all. He didn't blame his classmates, really. He would have done the same thing, if he was able to. As it was, though.....Yuuta sighed and glared at his megaphone. Why couldn't he have gotten a gun, or something? This did absolutely nothing to help him, unless he wanted to attract attention to himself. Which he really didn't. Yuuta peered out of his hole, watching warily. A girl walked past him, though all he could see were her socks and shoes. He breathed a sigh of relief. The shoes stopped. Yuuta put a hand over his mouth to quiet his breathing, as the shoes turned around in circles. "  
  
Who's there?" A voice above him called. "I heard you! I know you're there." Yuuta heard the sound of something solid hitting some foliage near him. 'Oh boy. Here it goes. Kill or be killed.' He thought. He grabbed a rock that he had near him just incase something like this happened. "YAAAAARRHGG!" He cried, jumping and bashing the rock into the girl's head. She shrieked. "Fujii!" She had recognized him, then. Yuuta smiled grimly. "Sorry, Miyazaki. It's me or you." Kaede Miyazaki fell into a heap without another word or sound. Yuuta wiped nervous sweat off his brow. "My first kill. Maybe I'll be really lucky, and the other people will die by themselves. I don't really like this killing thing." He said out loud.  
  
He kneeled down and prepared to search the body. He didn't see any weapons immediately, so she must have had hers hidden. First he checked her 'survival' bag. Nothing. Her own bag had nothing but make up and accessories. Whatever she had, she must have it close by her. He looked at her dead body. Eyes shut. Lips parted. Blood seeping from a cut on her head. His gaze traveled to her hand, which was clenched tightly. There was blood coming from her fist. "I didn't do anything to her hand....." Yuuta mused. He reached down and began to pry her fingers apart.  
  
As soon as he began, her body twitched. He froze and looked at her face. Her eyes were open and staring at him with a deadly calm. She smiled. Yuuta tried frantically to grab whatever was in her hand, but she pulled away and kicked him hard. He fell face down in the dirt, and hoped she wouldn't notice his scrabbling for a rock, to try the same trick on her. A foot on his hand told him she noticed. "Trying to kill me, Yuuta? Thought a simple rock would do it?" She snarled. He turned around and looked up at her, eyes wide. "Miyazaki!" He whined. "Come on! I didn't think you were dead! I just wanted to knock you out for a moment! Really!" He hoped that his lie was believable. "I really do admire you, Miyazaki-chan. I-I've liked you since middle school, actually." He lied, trying to look innocent. Miyazaki hesitated.  
  
For all her toughness, she really wasn't a very mean person. Yuuta was counting on this. As soon as she was distracted slightly he jumped up and encircled his hands around her throat, carefully staying away from the thin collar. "Yuuta! Get off of me!" She cried, pounding his back with her hands. Yuuta felt sharp pains stab into his back at the contact. He had to end this. "Die, Miyazaki!" He growled, keeping his strangle hold on her while at the same time bashing her head into the ground again and again. Kaede choked, trying to gasp in some air, though the combination of being strangled and disoriented was drastically against her.  
  
Behind Yuuta, Kaede noticed a shadow passing by slowly. It was Yugi Mutoh, the shy, nice kid in her class. "Mu-toh! Help me PLEA-SE!" She gasped, though she didn't think he could hear. Yugi glanced in her direction. If Kaede had been more observant, she would have noticed that Yugi looked.....darker. Bigger. And confused. Very confused. To Kaede's massive disappointment, Yugi continued walking, limping as though he was injured. Kaede began crying. She tried to plea again for Yuuta to stop, but she didn't have enough air in her lungs. Her head was spinning and aching, and she felt like she was going to be sick anytime now. She didn't want to die. Not like this. 'If I have to die,' she thought, 'I'm taking my murderer down with me!' She dug the ninja's stars that were in her hands into her assailants back, dragging them down his spine. Yuuta screamed and back away, but by the time he finally let go, Kaede was dead from brain damage.  
  
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V******Girl #13 Miyazaki Kaede-Dead. 20 to Go. ********  
  
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"Yami?" Anzu asked, concerned. Yami had come back a few minutes ago, hobbling worse then ever. His sword was gone. "Yami, what is it? Did you find them?" She asked, putting a hand on Yami's arm. Yami jerked back. "No!" He shouted. Her eyes widened, and Otogi, Jou and Seto all stared at Yami in surprise. Yami sighed and gave an apologetic smile to Anzu. "No. I didn't find them."  
  
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"Yui-chan! I'm so glad I've found you! It was horrible Yui-chan. I.....I killed! I killed Watanabe, with poison! It feels like I'm wearing one of those stupid t-shirts, and mine says 'I killed my classmate and all I got was this crummy bag.' But now that I've found you, we can escape, Yui- chan! We'll figure out a way to get off this island. Don't look at me like that, Yui. You know I'd never kill my best friend, so don't be so suspicious of me. Yui-chan? Yui-ch---"  
  
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V********Girl # 2 Saito Kana Dead. 19 to Go. *******  
  
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Alrighty, then! Did anyone see that coming? I'm just killing everyone off, aren't I. (Well, yeah...) First of all, in my defense, I would like to say that I am almost certain Yami is capable of doing what he did. I'm sure most people have at least *heard* about how cruel Yami was at the very beginning of Yu-Gi-Oh, but I didn't even base my opinions about him on that. In a recent episode, Yami finds out that Malik is going to go after his friends, (namely Jou and Anzu) and take over their minds. When Yami meets up with some 'Rare Hunters', he quite, ah, energetically, tries to shake (and I do mean shake) information out of the poor guys. Not to mention he yells at them. And this was only the English version. So, yes, I do think he could have done that to Dinosaur, after Dinosaur shot Yugi. Of course, you know what this means. Plenty of Yami angst next chapter. Oh dear. -_- Anzu was quite the hero, here, wasn't she? I personally hate Anzu, but I can't just get rid of her because I *feel* like it. Too bad...One more thing! Okay, I'm almost rid of...8! of the extra's. I hope I'm not expounding too much on them. For the most part, they're not important to the story. Except as people to steal weapons from..  
  
Reviewers! Domo arigato gozaimasu!! I don't really have the patience to comment to each review, but I will answer questions, or comment about suggestions, probably. So, Thanks too:  
  
Sutoriitoenzeru-Street Angel; Mystrana and the Lady Love; Alti-Angel; Jounouchi Katsuya; Yami Bakura Kia; Baka-kura-chan; Black Rose; Itsame; and Tech!!!! I didn't think this was that...scary. O.o That's awesome!! Woo. I've been having weird dreams about people getting killed. I didn't personally *see* the people, but I knew they were dead. I wonder if this is this stories doing? -.-  
  
If anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. If you liked, (or hated, even. Hey, even if you kind of liked-and kind of hated) this, please be a nice reader and review! ^^ I'm kind of confused on the spelling of Yugi's last name. I see it as Motoh; Mutoh; Motou; Mouto; Moto; Muto; and who knows what else. So, if it accidently changes spelling throughout the fic, er, that's my fault. Sorry!  
  
Okay, from now on I'll put another chapter out only when I have at least one chapter after that done. Kay! So you're lucky, cause I have next chapter done! And what a chapter it is! Things sure do begin to pick up in pace, that's for sure. 


	5. Guilt Trip

A/N--Wah-hah-hah-ha! I love this chapter! You'll see why, at the end.....  
  
Okay, I lied. I said I would put this chapter out only when I have the next chapter done. Well, I don't, yet. v.v But I figured I might as well put this out now.....Bakura and Malik! Yay!!  
'thoughts'  
  
*italics*  
  
/Yugi to Yami/  
  
\Yami to Yugi\  
  
^cheesy sound effects^  
  
~flashbacks~  
  
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Bakura took a deep drink from his water bottle. He had been avoiding Yami Malik all day, which was difficult work. According to his Sennen Ring, though, he had managed to lose Yami Malik, and wouldn't have a problem for a while. Bakura sat down on a stump and thought. He wasn't afraid of Yami Malik, but he was certainly wary. He didn't want to face him without a plan. After a day, he still hadn't come up with anything useful. Especially since he didn't want the Sennen Rod destroyed in the confrontation. It was hard to try and think up ways that he could kill Yami Malik (and Malik, with any luck) without destroying the other's Item.   
  
"Attention, Class! It's now time for the evening report!" Bakura smirked. He had heard that the poor friend of the Pharaoh, Hondo or whatever, had died in the afternoon 'report'. Two guesses on who killed him. "I'm kind of upset at this turn out. I would have expected better of you. Well, I'm sure you'll get better motivation as the deadline nears." Right. Maybe if they hadn't put them on such a big island then they would have better luck finding victims. Bakura himself hadn't seen anyone else since Kaiba, which was a bit dissipointing to him. At the very least, even if he hadn't killed them he could have slowed them up a bit with his gun, have Yami Malik finish them off once he found them, and gain a bit of headway (because he knew Yami Malik liked to play with his victims). "So, here's the list of dead for this afternoon. In order: Boy #7-Ryusaki Dinosaur. Hey! I saw him on t.v! He was in the duelist championships, fighting Insector Haga. Hmmm. I believe Haga is another classmate in this game. Either way, Ryusaki's dead now! Looks like he lost again." Bakura rolled his eyes. He couldn't wait to hear the commentary when Yugi and Kaiba died. They *would* die, of course. Bakura would win. "Girl # 13---Miyazaki Kaede. And finally, Girl # 2---Saito Kana." Bakura raised an eyebrow. Only three? Did the mortals *want* to die? They sure seemed to.  
  
Bakura himself didn't find anything wrong with this game. It amused him greatly, and it would be perfect, if only the psychotic Yami Malik wasn't around. He could have been able to kill the Pharaoh in peace, but now he had vengeful competition. Yami Malik wanted everyone, including his own host, dead. He just happened to hold special grudges against Bakura and the Pharaoh. Bakura snorted. The Pharaoh should be grateful that Yami Malik didn't feel like going after *him* right then, and instead chose Bakura as his target.. Bakura didn't even know why Yami Malik hated him so much more than the normal person. After all, Bakura hadn't beaten him the duel. Maybe it was because Bakura hadn't died. Or been sent to the Shadow Realm. It didn't matter to him. He wasn't going to let Yami Malik hurt him or his host (which would essentially be hurting him), so Yami Malik was wasting his time. "Now then. I expect a nice, big group of deaths to report tomorrow, okay? You only have about two days left. Tick Tock." He signed off, and the woods were once again in silence.   
  
Bakura sighed impatiently as a point of his Sennen Ring floated to the east. It looked like Yami Malik was on the prowl again. He stood up and stretched, then put the half-full bottle back in the bag he had stolen from Malik. His hand brushed up against something soft, which he took out. "Well. So this is Malik's weapon. Impressive." He laughed and held up the blue earmuffs. "Hmmmm. These could be useful. Too bad they're such an ugly color." He kept the earmuffs out, then put the backpack on, made sure his machine gun was loaded, and set off. He walked quickly, not wanting Yami Malik to get to him yet. All the while he walked, he thought. *What* could he do against Yami Malik? He couldn't duel. He was an excellent duelist, and might even beat Yami Malik this round, but Ryou hadn't brought his deck. Bakura hadn't been aware of that and it had been a nasty confrontation on Ryou's part when he found out.   
  
"Bakura-kun?" A soft voice questioned. Bakura halted. A bit of concentration found his ring pointing off a distance, which was where the voice had come from. "Bakura-kun, that's you, right?" A girl came out from behind a tree and walked up to Bakura, biting her fingernails and looking around cautiously. "Come on, Bakura-kun!" The girl urged. She tugged on Bakura's (who was staring at her in distaste) arm, managing to get him to take a step before he dug his heels into the ground and stopped moving. "Bakura-kun!" The girl cried, upset. "We have to get away from here! Come on, me and the girls are all in a safe house. You can come with us. We all know you're all right. You wouldn't kill us," she blushed, "Ryou-kun." Bakura didn't care about the customs of today, but he *was* aware that strangers and near-strangers did not call you by your first name. This, along with the fact that he hated it when people mixed him up with his idiot reincarnation (unless he was trying to pass off as him) spurred him to take action. Of course, he would have done it anyway.   
  
The girls eyes widened in horror as she now found herself with a machine gun pressing into her gut, with the owner grinning madly. "Not you too!" She shrieked attempting to back up and run away. He took her out before she ran three steps.  
  
^TATTATTTATTTATTTATTATT^  
  
Bakura loved the quick "ping!" of bullets hitting flesh. It was almost soothing. He stopped firing only when the round ran out. As soon as he stopped, the girl, who had been lying on the ground with her hands over her head, began to crawl desperetly, and slowly, away. Bakura carefully took another magazine from the belt around his chest and put it in the gun.   
  
^TATTAT^   
  
Two quick shots finished it off for her, and she fell still.  
  
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V*******Girl # 9----Oita Natsumi Dead. 18 to Go. ******  
  
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Bakura gave a derisive snort. He had wasted some of his valuable time, even if he was having fun. Well, he might as well get a move on now, before Yami Malik got any closer. His brow furrowed in impatience as his ring pointed to the bushes the girl had originally come from. It took Bakura a second to figure out that there was someone else in there. "Come out....."He called softy, smirking. A small, choked sob caused him to grin, and he was able to pinpoint the sound's location. He walked towards it, and found a girl crouching on the ground, looking like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. Her eyes were screwed up and her face was red. When she realized he was standing there, she lost all pretense and began bawling loudly. This caused Bakura to laugh, because the one thing he loved as much as the Sennen Items was causing fear. He watched almost curiously as the girl paused her crying and proceeded to scrabble for something in her bag.   
  
Since he wasn't stupid, Bakura realized that she was probably going for her weapon. "What do you have?" He asked her. She froze and turned slowly to look at him. "If you have something worthwhile, I may spare your pathetic life. Give me your weapon." He commanded. She stared at him for a moment. "O…..okay." She pulled out a crossbow from her bag, and handed it to Bakura, who nodded in satisfaction. "Can I go?" She pleaded. Bakura smirked. "This isn't much use without arrows. I know you must have them. Give them to me!" She whimpered and reached back into the bag. 'He's going to kill me anyway' she thought. 'I can't just let him without doing something.'  
  
Bakura saw just the tip of the arrow before she lunged at him, digging the point of the object into the skin above his knee. "This is for Natsumi!" She screamed, twisting the arrow violently. He growled at her and tried to push her away. She wouldn't budge. She hit him with her weak fists, which annoyed him more than caused him any pain. Finally he broke her grip by pulling her arm out of her socket and kicking her away from him, wrenching the arrow out of his leg soon after. She fell into a tree and began groaning and fingering her fast purpling arm. Bakura glared at her, then gazed at his wound. It was deep, but nothing he couldn't handle. He reached a hand down to the flowing blood, mesmerized by it's color and thickness. If there was one good thing he could say about his reincarnation, it was that he had excellent tasting blood.   
  
"I've found you." A teasing voice said from behind. Bakura whirled around and found his eyes meeting with Yami Malik's. Bakura cursed silently. He had been careless, and had allowed the psycho to catch up with him. Yami Malik looked at the red liquid covering Bakura's face and hands. He smiled dangerously.   
  
"Bakura….." Yami Malik purred, swinging his Item around in his hand carelessly, "How would you like to die? Would you enjoy being stabbed" he took the cover off the dagger that was built into the Sennen Rod "to death, or would you prefer for me to control you, so you can kill yourself with *that*?" He nodded at the gun Bakura had resting next to him. Bakura sneered. "I think you're mistaken. It is I who shall kill *you*" He said, standing up. He reached over and grabbed the now shocked girl's wrist, then pulled her up so that she was in front of him, as a sort of shield. Yami Malik laughed. "You actually think I won't kill you because you have some mortal in the way?" He asked incredeously. Bakura put his gun to the girls back and fired once, causing her to scream in agony. Then he pushed her at the evil Malik, successfully causing him to fall down from the weight. As the girl flailed her limbs and kicked and screamed, trying to stop the pain she had no control over, Yami Malik tried to get her off. When he finally freed himself, Bakura was gone.   
  
A disheveled Yami Malik growled in frustration. He had lost him again. A blood trail from Bakura's leg clearly marked which was the Yami had gone, so that was no problem. He absentmindedly pushed his Sennen Rod into the girl's forehead, which silenced her annoying screams. Then he brooded for a moment, trying to figure out what to do now. Finally he got up and began to make his way down Bakura's path. He halted before he had gone too far, then backtracked to the body. Yami Malik picked up the abandoned crossbow, the bloody arrow, and six other arrows he found in the girl's bag. along with an arrow pouch to put on his belt. Gripping the handle of the bow tightly, he started tracking Bakura again.   
  
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V********Girl #15—Arakaki Saki Dead. 17 to Go. *********  
  
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The group that consisted of Yugi, Jou, Anzu, Otogi, and Kaiba was tense, that night. As soon as the evening announcements had come on and proclaimed Dinosaur dead, four sets of eyes swiveled to Yami. "Yami? I thought you said you didn't find them." Anzu whispered. Yami shrugged. He had been silent ever since the outburst at Anzu that afternoon, thinking about what he had done and seen. Anzu wasn't about to let the matter go so quickly. "You killed him?" She squeaked, hugging herself as if it made her safer. "You killed someone? I thought we all agreed we weren't going to—""What's done is done." Yami snapped. He refused to meet Anzu eyes, or anyone else's. Nobody spoke for a while. Finally Jou shifted around a bit, and prepared to lie down. "It's late," he explained when everyone stared at him. "I haven't slept for almost a day. I'm tired. We're as safe as we're going to get, so we might as well sleep." He closed his eyes and used his carry-on bag as a pillow.  
  
Otogi soon followed suit, shrugging at the look at Anzu's face. She whipped her head around when she realized the Kaiba too was getting comfortable at the base of a tree, making sure to keep his locater close at hand. Anzu stoically stared ahead for about fifteen minutes. Then she sighed. "If you can't beat them, join them." She muttered. "Are you going to sleep too, Yami?" She asked, just barely able to make out Yami's awake form. Yami shook his head. "No. I have…..things to think about." He said, still not looking at her. She gave an exasperated noise. "Yami. If you don't sleep, both you and Yugi will get ill. You can't afford to be sick, with the injuries you have. Go to sleep!" She commanded forcefully.   
  
Yami turned and looked at her for the first time. His eyes had circles that seemed to have appeared there in only a few hours, and he looked older than she had ever seen him. "You don't understand." He practically hissed. "I killed him. He was…..and he couldn't even do anything! He was defenseless!" Anzu closed her eyes for a few minutes, and Yami thought she had gone to sleep. But then she spoke again and he realized she had just been thinking. "Listen. I don't blame you. He hurt Yugi, and I understand that you felt the need to…..you know. But you shouldn't beat yourself up about it! He probably would have died anyway!" She whispered heatedly. Jou snorted in his sleep, and the pair looked over at him for a moment before continuing their conversation. "I can't help but feel guilty." Yami said, "But you're right. He would have died anyway. It would have been like a lion picking off a wounded animal. His eyes….." He trailed off, then looked at Anzu inquiringly.   
  
"What did you do to him?" He asked. Anzu stiffened. "What do you mean, 'What did I do I do to him'?" She asked carefully. Yami looked at her hands pointedly. Since it was dark she couldn't see where he was looking, but she knew anyway. "Nothing important." She lied. Yami snorted. "Looks like you're almost as guilty as me." He said without thinking. "You condemned him to a sightless life." He realized what he had just said. "I'm sorry, Anzu." He apologized. She didn't say anything for a moment. "Anzu?" Yami lifted his head up from it's slump and looked over at her. "Anzu?" He repeated. From what he could see, she was staring into the sky, no emotions visible on her face. He crawled over to her and touched her shoulder. "Anzu, I'm sorry." She slapped his hand away. "And how," she asked shakily, "Did you find out it was me?"   
  
Yami backed up and sat down, perplexed and guilty at Anzu's mood change. "Ryusaki told me." He whispered. He could see her teeth gleam in the moonlight as she smiled mockingly. "Ryusaki told you? Right before you killed him? Did you make him tell, or was he giving the information for free, in hopes that you would spare his life?" She asked. Yami jerked back as if she had hit him in the face. "Anzu…..?" He said horrified. She sniffed slightly and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whimpered. She stood up. "I just can't take all this death and…..I have to be by myself now. I'll be over there." She pointed towards a dark cope of tree's. Yami nodded wordlessly as Anzu left the group. When he couldn't see her anymore, he sat down and began contemplating everything that had happened. /Now you'll never get any sleep./ Yugi murmured.   
  
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She stared at the sleeping girl, fingering the butcher's knife held in her hands. A quick glance told her that the girl's friends in the next clearing were also still sleeping, as was most everyone else this night. It wouldn't take much to wake them up, though. This would have to be quick. She raised the knife slightly and balanced it over the girl's heart, keeping her other hand close to her mouth so she could stifle her screams when the blade pierced her skin.   
  
^Thrirt^ The blade entered with a juicy squirt, and the soon-to-be murderer watched in satisfaction as the girls eyes flew open. "AI—" Her mouth was covered immedietley, and the only thing she could do was thrash wildly as the butcher knife was removed, then sunk once again into her chest. Her foot flew up and kicked her assailant from behind, and with her balance lost the bleeding girl jumped to her feet and ran, screaming as loud as she could in hopes that her friends would save her. She jerked the knife from her body and threw it away, running to her friends. It took her a moment to realized that her attacker had left. By then she was just outside the clearing, and could see her death soaring towards her.  
  
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Jou jumped awake as a high scream broke the night's silence. He grabbed the grenade he kept beside him and took a quick head count. Otogi was next to him, staring around wildly. Kaiba was under the tree, fiddling frantically with his computer thing, and over in the shadows he managed to make out Yami, who was looking around to find the source of the sound, and Anzu, next to Yami and frozen in shock. So it wasn't any of his friends. "What if it's another attacker?" Otogi asked, gripping Jou's shoulder and trying to find the person screaming. They couldn't see anyone though. The shadows from the trees made it impossible to see into them. Feet crashed in their direction, and Otogi and Jou looked at each other desperetly. "What do I do? Is that person going to attack us?" Jou cried, unsure. Otogi didn't answer. They could make out the form of someone waving their arms wildly. "Look!" Otogi shouted. Jou saw the flash of silver blade for a moment before it dissapeared. In that moment he made a decision. He pulled the pin off the grenade clutched in his hand, and threw it hard in the approaching figures direction. "JOU! NO!" Kaiba yelled, jumping to his feet.   
^PPPPCCCCHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM^  
  
Everyone fell back as the huge explosion caused what seemed to be a mini-earthquake. It was like the fireball they had experienced earlier, only about ten times worse. After the immediate explosion there was still a flurry of booms as nearby tree's burst into flames and crashed into each other. Jou covered his mouth and nose, trying to keep the smoke from his lungs. He and the group backed up to where they weren't in any danger of falling objects, though it was still loud and hot. The smoke was getting thicker, which caused some difficulties when Jou was trying to find everyone. "Yami?!" he called. Yami yelled something undistinguishible over the roar of the fire to him, so Jou just gave him a thumbs up sign. "Okay, Otogi? Otog---Ah, there you are. Anzu?" He squinted through the smoke, looking for the girl. "Anzu? Yami? You seen Anzu? She was with you!" Yami shook his head and pointed to his ears. He couldn't hear him. "WHERE'S ANZU!?" He shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth.   
  
Yami frowned and looked around. He then froze as he seemed to remember something. He looked back in the inferno's direction, then to where he had been sleeping last night. Yami mouthed something to himself that Jou couldn't hear, then took a step towards the fire. "What?" Jou yelled. He yelled again as Yami tried to run/stagger back to the flames. "What is he doing?" Jou heard Otogi say. He ignored Otogi's question and ran after Yami, managing to catch him and hold him back before he got too close. Yami made a strange noise as Jou accidently pressed his shoulder wound tightly, but was soon ignoring it steadfastly as he attempted to break Jou's grip. "What are you doing?" Jou asked, frustrated. Yami was lifted, kicking and flailing into the air by Jou and dragged back to the others. "ANZU! ANZU! I'm sorry!" He yelled.   
  
Kaiba watched all of this blankly. 'If this wasn't the situation it was,' he found himself thinking, 'this would be quite amusing. It's not everyday I see the King of Games looking like a kid being carried away from a toy store.' He almost chuckled, but one look at the device in his hand kept any merry thoughts far away. Yami was still yelling out Anzu's name despretly, though he had given up trying to get back over there. Jou continued to hold him carefully, afraid that he might try to run again. "Yami! Yami, what about Anzu? Where is she? We'll find her, don't worry! She wasn't over there, remember, she was with you!." Jou said, trying to calm Yami down and look for Anzu at the same time. Where *was* she? Jou hadn't seen her since he had first woken up. She had been next to Yami, not moving…..maybe she was still there! Maybe she was in shock, and that was what Yami was yelling about.  
  
Jou quickly moved his gaze the area Anzu had been in. His hopes rose. She was still there! He could just barely see her in the smoke, lying down and maybe unconscious. He had to get to her quickly, before the fire caught her. He handed Yami to Otogi and rushed to the spot he had seen her. After dodging a few downed trees and fire patches he reached his destination. It was thick with smoke, and he could barley see two feet in front of him. "Anzu, wake up," he urged, shaking her shoulder. Her frowned. This didn't feel like her school uniform's materiel. He gasped as 'Anzu' fell apart, revealing itself to actually be a group of bags bunched together that happened to look like a human shape. If this wasn't Anzu, and had never been, then where had she been when the unknown person had screamed and ran towards them…..?  
  
  
~ "JOU! NO!" Kaiba yelled, jumping to his feet. ~  
  
In his hand had been the locator computer thing. That he could track people with. That he could tell where everyone was with. That he could know where someone was, with. ~JOU! NO!~ The words echoed around his head, over and over. ~ Yami was lifted, kicking and flailing, into the air by Jou and dragged back to the others. "ANZU! ANZU!" He yelled. ~ Yami had been looking in the direction of the explosion, Jou remembered. Kaiba had his location card. Yami had been running to the flames. Anzu was missing. Anzu was…..  
  
Jou collapsed on the ground, oblivious to the surrounding flames. His mind was blank as he successfully managed to think of nothing at all. He didn't acknowledge Kaiba and Otogi's presence as he was lifted from the ground and transferred to a spot a way's off, where Yami was. Anzu was nowhere in sight. Anzu would never be in sight again. Anzu was gone. *And it was all his fault*.  
  
V  
V  
  
V*******Girl #6—Mazaki Anzu Dead. 16 to Go ********  
  
V  
  
V  
  
B  
  
R  
  
B  
  
R  
Yeah, yeah. I know what you're thinking. Good riddance, eh? How can Jou be so sentimental? Well, keep in mind that I'm trying to keep them in character, and Jou, Anzu, and Yami were all close friends. Kind of odd, though, since I didn't go into so much detail with Honda's death. I guess it's because the group got distracted by Ryusaki and Haga.  
  
I don't know when I'll have the next chapter out. Hopefully soon. Most likely not. All the extra's are going, and they really aren't that interesting to write. I'm sure you all wouldn't mind if I kind of skimped on their stories, right? Right?!  
  
REVIEWERS! YAY! My story is loved and feared by actual *people*! Many many thanks to all of my wonderful readers and reviwers! As for people with questions and the like...  
  
Author Artemis ; Mystrana and Lady Love ; Unintentional Nightmare ; Jounouchi Katsuya ; Black Rose ; bill ; Ketsu ; Suki ;  
  
Yami Bakura Kia : Ack! Forgot to add this last chapter! Of course you can put me on your site! I'd be honored! ^^ I tried to e-mail you, but it got sent back.....By the way, I love your site! Cool pictures. :  
  
ITSAME : Yeah, only one person survives, and I'm totally changing the ending of the original movie. Also, I'm not really basing any of the main characters off of the characters in the movie. Dunno why. *shrugs* So, with the exception of some of the extra classmates, and maybe a few situations, everything is unique.....I think.....O.o  
  
Rauken : My feelings exactly!   
Soo, that was this chapter! Review, if you would be so kind. Questions, comments and concerns are welcomed with open.....keys.I'm so glad that I'm inspiring people to watch the movie! Oh, and if my spelling's bad, that's because:  
  
A) I can't spell  
  
B) Spell check isn't working as well as it should. 


	6. Picking up the Pace

---Yeah, yeah. I know. It took awhile. But I got motivated today to write a bit, so here you go! This one is more of extra peoples death, which is one reason it was kind of boring to write. Don't worry! There's only, like, 4 more extra people to kill, and those should be quick. Then we get closer to the winner. Which not many people have tried to guess, but that's okay. So...here's this chapter. I hope it's not too boring, or violent. Though I think it is....  
  
B  
  
R  
  
B  
  
R  
  
B  
  
R  
  
"Nana-chan," Yuka Matsumato said hesitantly, "Neither Natsumi-chan or Saki-chan have come back yet. I'm worried." Nana Takahashi pushed her hair back from her face and continued to apply her makeup. "I'm sure they're fine." She murmured. Yuka scowled at her. "Our friends may be dead, and all you can think about is how you look?" She hissed. Nana gave an exasperated sigh and slammed her mascara down on the table. "*Look*, Yuka. Even if they weren't fine, what would you propose we do? Go out and look for them? I don't want to die, and I doubt you do either. Do you?" She asked savagely. Yuka's gaze fell onto the sharp axe that Nana had resting next to her, then at the crowbar that she had in her own belt.   
  
Nana laughed at Yuka's hesitation and gaze. "I'm not going to kill you." She said, highly amused. Yuka frowned and sat down on the small couch. "That's what everyone said, before." She said quietly. Nana didn't hear her, but Mai Kaga, who was reading a teen magazine, did. "Stop being so melodramatic." Mai said, bored. The room was in silence for a few minutes, except the shuffling of magazine pages and the moving around of makeup objects. After a while Yuka jumped to her feet and began pacing.   
  
"We're already on our second day, almost." She said. "I can't just sit here and wait to die, whether because we're out of time or because someone betrays us or whatever! I can't do this!" Her strides increased, and now she was beginning to make the two watching girls dizzy. "I've got to do something." Yuka moved towards the door of the small house they were staying in. She was stopped by Nana, who pulled her back to the couch carefully, as if Yuka was insane. "Yuka-chan. You can't go out there." She said slowly. "Remember Natsumi and Saki-chan? They're gone, now. It's dangerous out there." Yuka stared at her, as if uncomprehending the words Nana was saying. "She's mental." Mai remarked, popping some gum she was chewing. She was caught unprepared as Yuka shrieked and jumped on top of her, slapping and scratching with all her might.  
  
"I'M CRAZY? *I'M* CRAZY?" Yuka rasped. She drew a long line of blood across the bloated and shocked face of Mai with her nails. "What about you? I think you're rather nutty yourself! Your so calm with all this death and destruction. That's got to indicate something with you is off! And," she paused, thinking quickly, wondering what would hurt Mai the most, "what about Otogi-kun? I remember when you asked him out. You actually thought he would go out with you!" Mai's skin went from white to red rapidly. "How dare you? Otogi-kun *does* like me! He said so himself!" She smirked at Yuka's skeptical look. "Oh, yes. It's true. After he turned me down, he told me in private that he actually liked me better then either of you," she jerked her head in Nana's direction, who was watching the drama with interest, "but didn't want to make you upset. So ha!" She grinned, satisfied.   
  
Yuka didn't say anything for a moment. Then she started to laugh. "Like Otogi-kun," she snorted, "would ever like a fatso like you? Your lying, because Otogi winked at *me* only, when we were cheering him at his duel against Jounouchi and Motoh! Not you, ugly cow!." She shrieked. Mai was obviously the biggest one of the group, not to mention the least attractive. She stared at Yuka with a hurt expression for a second. Yuka saw this and her fierce expression faltered. "I.....Mai, I didn't mean--" Mai looked down, fingers clenching in rage. "Your right." She said tightly. "I suppose I had better get rid of any COMPETITION!" Yuka managed a quick "What?" before Mai reached beside her and grabbed Nana's axe from the chair. She hurled it at Yuka and missed. Yuka screamed and yanked her own weapon out, holding the crowbar out defensively as if it was a staff. A few feet away, Nana's eyes widened as Mai picked up the fallen axe and swung it again and again at Yuka, who blocked it as best she could. Eventually Yuka failed to block once and the blade sunk into her left arm, touching the bone before being pulled out, causing Yuka to scream at a pitch that was almost inhuman.   
  
"Mai! Yuka! Stop this!!" Nana shrieked, running between them and sticking her arms out, trying to get them to stop. Mai's expression never changed as she embedded the axe into Nana's chest, much to Nana's surprise. Mai only looked away when Nana shot her a look of ultimate betrayal and loathing. Slowly Nana slithered to the floor, still watching her old friend. "Look what you did!" Yuka shouted. She quickly realized her mistake as Mai, who had an insane gleam in her eye, began to walk towards her. Yuka ran to the couch, where she knew the only salvation she might have was. "There!" She whispered. She picked up with her working arm the small handgun, which had been Mai's weapon, carelessly left on the couch to be forgotten. She turned around, screaming threateningly with her finger pressed on the trigger. "Get away or I'll--" a quick swipe from the bloody blade and her head was loped off her shoulders. Just as quick, before anyone could digest this information the nerves in Yuka's fingers tightened in response to the decapitation, and a bullet was fired into the be-headers throat, bouncing off the metallic necklace and back into Yuka's body. The bullet that hit necklace caused it to detonate, which instantly killed Mai. In a matter of seconds, both friends were dead. Quick Quick Quick.   
  
All of this was witnessed by Nana, still lying on the floor bleeding to death. 'I thought I would have been the first to turn on my friends.' she thought hazily. 'I should have run. I would have lived.' She thought about the thousands of arguments Mai, Yuka and herself had had. This had been just an average argument. In her rage, Mai had started a chain reaction, just like she always seemed to do. Nana briefly recalled the time she had set Yuka in the hospital with a fractured jaw. Mai had been very sorry after-words. This time there would be no afterword.   
  
V  
  
V  
  
V**********Girl #8 Matsumato Yuka Dead *************  
  
V  
  
V*********Girl #11 Kaga Mai Dead **************  
  
V  
  
V**********Girl #12 Takahashi Nana Dead. 13 to Go. ************  
  
V  
  
V  
  
"Kaiba," a weary voice asked, "Where are you going?" Kaiba looked behind him and saw Otogi sitting on a rotting log, a boy on either side of him. Yami was staring into space, rubbing his wounds occasionally. He was talking to Yugi, obviously. Jou was also staring into space, but it was quite clear that he wasn't thinking of anything. Otogi and Kaiba were the only ones left who had all their wits (or most of them) about them. And Kaiba's wit's were going to abandon him if he had to stay around those people any longer.   
  
No matter how hard he tried, (and it wasn't very hard) Kaiba couldn't feel any sadness or regret over Anzu's death. He had known her only as well as he had known Honda. Not very much. All he felt was anger that the Battle Royale game was succeeding. He didn't know how many people were dead by now, but it had to be at least half the class. The only people Kaiba knew he would feel any.....loss.....for would be Yami, Yugi, and the mutt. He didn't know any of his other classmates well enough. 'Of course,' he thought, 'I don't think I'll mind it so much if the other Yami's go under.'  
  
"Kaiba?" Otogi repeated. Kaiba sneered at him. "I'm going for a walk. I think that's allowed." He said scathingly. Otogi ignored the tone. He was too tired to be drawn into an ugly banter with Kaiba. "Everyone else who has gone for a walk, or the bathroom, or to sleep or something has died." Otogi explained patiently. He didn't speak to loudly, so as not to disturb his two friends. Kaiba continued walking, and Otogi watched him dissappear with a sigh. He hoped he would see him again. He was a fellow businessman and gamer. Otogi didn't know many others like that. He returned from his thoughts when Jou stirred, and prepared for whatever Jou would do next.   
  
B  
  
R  
  
"Get off of me!" Kaiba's head lifted from his feet. He had been walking for about two hours, wandering aimlessly. He knew that this was one of the most dangerous things he could do, but as long as he had his locater device he wasn't too worried. In the distance he had just heard someone shouting. Moving slowly towards the sound, he studied locater, waiting for the signal to start. "Beep" There it was. He glanced at the names of the people that he could hear. Nobody he knew. "Stop it! Please!" A female voice screamed. As much as Kaiba hated to play the hero, or get involved in anyone else's misreble lives, he couldn't in all good conscious ignore this. 'Mutoh's a bad influence on me.' he grumbled to himself. Kaiba muted the locator's beeping, then crept up to the pair of people. His eyes narrowed as he saw one of the boys from his class on top of one of the girls, pinning her arms above her and keeping her from moving and attempting to remove her uniform. This type of behavior disgusted him. He eyed the boy, looking for any weapons. There were none that he saw.   
  
With the grace of a cat, Kaiba slipped between the bushes and appeared next to the two in seconds. It took only a moment for him to raise the boy off the girl and to kick him back to another space of ground. Kaiba didn't have a gun, knife, or any other weapon on him. He had, in his opinion, something better. His body. When the boy tried to stand up, Kaiba's foot connected soundly with his jaw. The boy grasped onto Kaiba's leg to keep him from repeating this maneuver, but Kaiba broke the boys grip and raised him up by his neck. "You're pathetic." He spat. He punched him twice, then paused. The boy was looking dazed and disoriented. 'That should be enough' Kaiba though. He didn't want to touch this guy any longer than nessessary. 'Maybe I should kill him', he thought, amused.   
  
That was the objective of the game was, wasn't it? To kill...Take another humans life, purposely... "No!" A high voice cried. Kaiba growled and looked behind him. The girl who he had helped was now standing up, looking disheveled and upset. "Please don't kill him!" She pleaded. He couldn't believe his ears. She didn't want him to kill this guy? "Please! He's....he's sick, and scared, and confused! He doesn't know what he's doing! Don't kill him, I beg you!" She dropped to her knees, tears flowing out of her eyes.   
  
Kaiba grimaced. What was wrong with her? His fingers twitched a bit, alerting him to the weird fabric the boy was wearing. He ignored the girl and pulled the boy's outer shirt off, revealing that he was wearing a black vest underneath. A closer inspection proved his suspicions. It was a bullet proof vest. 'This might come in handy.' He thought. After a few minutes he managed to pull the vest off, and he draped it over his arm. He let go of the boy and watched as he slumped to the ground, still pretty out of it. The girl rushed forward and knelt next to the boy. "Fujii-kun!" she wailed. "Why did you have to be so stupid?" She picked up the boy and leaned him against her, stroking his hair softly. Kaiba stared at her for a moment, then he said "If he does anything again, I'm not going to help you." She nodded, wiping her face. "He's just....he won't try again. I know him. He's a good guy." She said. Kaiba snorted and began walking away.  
  
The idiocy of humans would never cease to amaze him. It was no wonder they were in the situation they were in now. He frowned as he thought of how close he had come to killing that boy. Not for any reason other then to up his chances at winning the Game. Upon reflection, he was as close to ashamed as he ever got, which was what most people called irrational self-disgust. 'I can't believe I almost went along with their game. I won't play it. I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corporations and Dueling Champion brought down to his knees by a mere game. And if they think that when this is all over that I won't do anything about their barbaric games, they have another thing coming. That's a promise.'  
  
B  
  
R  
  
"Oh, Fujii-kun." Oonishi Shiori sighed, closing her eyes and resting her head on Fujii's hair. Her boyfriend was never very nice to her, but she couldn't bear to leave him, or tell somebody about his treatment of her. But, he had never gone as far as he had today. The worst he had done was slap her around a bit and call her names. Of course, he had always apologized afterwards. She didn't blame him. He lived with an alcoholic mother and three brutal older brothers, not to mention five younger siblings. Life was rough for Fujii.   
  
^Fwit^  
  
Oonishi's eyes opened wide. 'What was that?' She thought, panicking. She looked around wildly, clutching her semi-conscious boyfriend closer to her. She could have sworn she had heard a sharp whistle of wind a second ago. She cried out as her arm supporting Fujii slipped off his uniform, and Fujii crashed into the dirt. "What is...." She looked at her hand in horror, then at Fujii's back, where Oonishi's hand had previously been. They were both slick with blood. A closer inspection of Fujii told her that her boyfriend was no longer semi-conscious. He was dead. The arrow protruding through his stomach and back was a dead giveaway on the cause of death. "AYEEEEE!" She shrieked.  
  
She jumped up, then imedietely fell back down when an arrow lodged itself through the base of her throat. "Guh-ye..." Blood bubbled up through her throat as she tried to make a sound. She didn't move as footsteps approached. She didn't think she could even if she wanted too. She heard an odd ripping sound over where Fujii's body was, and when the footsteps moved her way and she saw a bloody arrow dangling in a taunting manner above her eyes, she realized that somebody had pulled the arrow out of Fujii. She was no longer thinking comprehensible thoughts as face loomed over her, grinning. The person's violet eyes were enough to send her mind flying, and she wasn't even aware of the pain when an arrow was ripped from her own neck. For almost a fifteen minutes after the person left, Oonishi's body, though not her mind, was still alive.   
  
V  
  
V  
  
V************Boy # 14--Yuuta Fujii Dead.   
  
V  
  
V  
  
V************Girl # 13--Shiori Oonishi Dead. 11 to Go.  
  
V  
  
V  
  
Otogi jerked awake as he heard the tell tale sign of a report coming. He stood up and stretched, tilting his head towards the morning sun. What a night. *What a night*. "Good morning! Welcome to the second day of Battle Royale!" Iwate's far too chipper voice announced. A few feet away Otogi, Jou stirred and sat up, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Wher'we?" He mumbled. Yugi pulled himself up from the ground he was laying on, looking like he hadn't slept a wink. "It's 6:30, and you know what that means!" Iwate said. Almost instinctively all eyes present dragged themselves towards the mass of destruction only about a hundred yards away. There were only a few spare embers left burning stubbornly, and countless tree's were felled or charred badly.   
  
"Congratulations! I knew you had it in you. I suppose you only needed the correct motivation, eh?" Iwate said. With that, the list started. "Oita Natsumi!" Otogi walked a way's off to go to the bathroom. Jou and Yugi followed suit. None spoke a word. "Arakaki Saki! That's a mouthful." When Otogi was done, he sat back down and dug around in his bag for a little bit, looking for something to eat. "Mazaki Anzu." Jou twitched, and Yugi dropped the granola bar he was holding. Before another second could be spared on thinking about their friend, the next person was listed. "Matsumoto Yuka." Otogi knew that name. She had been one of the three cheerleaders who had admired him and followed him around in school. She had been the nicer of the three. "Kaga Mai." That had been the bigger, uglier cheerleader with the bad temper. Otogi wasn't surprised when "Takahashi Nana." was called. 'Why not?' He thought dully. 'Everyone else is dying. They might as well die too. I suppose I'll follow them, and Honda, and Anzu and everyone soon.'  
  
"Fujii Yuuta. And finally, Oonishi Shiori. A total of eight people!" The three of them looked at each other helplessly. One. Two. Three. There were three of them left. "Where's Kaiba?" Yugi asked quietly. Otogi waved his arm out to the forest vaguely. "Away. I don't think he wanted to stay." He said. Yugi nodded. He didn't seem to even have the strength to be worried. Jou stood up, looking slightly more alive then he had the previous night, as if he was stubbornly ignoring the truth of what had happened. "Where are we going now?" He asked, trying to force a bit of cheer into his voice. Yugi and Otogi looked at him for a moment, and Jou's shoulders slumped. "Guys...I...what do we do now?" He sat down with a thump and put his heads in his arms wearily. He was the ideal picture of the word 'despair'. "What are we going to do? I don't want to die..."  
  
B  
  
R  
  
B  
  
'Stupid. Stupid. Stupid!' Insector kicked a random tree, ignoring the pain his toe earned. That small ache was nothing compared to losing a layer of skin. 'What did I do to deserve this?' Insector asked himself. He was smart. He could figure things out. So how had he allowed himself to be caught and burned like that? 'I'm lucky somebody hasn't picked me off by now. Not like there's many people left.' Insector smirked. If he could just spend a few more hours recuperating, then he should be well enough to start 'hacking' into the list of remaining classmates. All he needed to do was stay in a safe place...the tree he was starting to climb up would do for now. No one had found him yet, and he had already seen Kaiba, that girl Yui, and some other boy. He seemed to seated above a popular path to travel. Perfect for spotting potential victims.  
  
He wouldn't follow Kaiba or Yui. Maybe the boy. The boy didn't look too dangerous, and Insector knew better than to mess with Kaiba in the shape he was in, while the girl, Yui, had a great deal of blood on her that wasn't her own. So the boy it was. With this decision made, Insector decided to catch a few hours of sleep, before beginning the prowl. Hopefully the boy hadn't wandered off the path too much. All he needed was a few hours of rest...  
  
"Hey. Wake up." Insector's eyes snapped open, his body tense. It was late morning, almost afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly through the tree tops. He couldn't have been asleep for more than a half-hour. "Who is it?" Insector whispered. He grabbed his scythe, gripping the handle tightly. "Who is it?" He said, louder. "I'll kill you if you come any closer!" He looked around him, and below him to the ground. Nothing. 'Maybe I was imagining things. But he could have sworn he heard a low voice speak to him. "Over here..." Insector whipped his head around to the direction of the sound, but he didn't see anything. "Who is it?" He said angrily. "Don't try to mess with my mind. It won't work." He swung the scythe around a few times, threateningly. The mysterious voice chuckled darkly.   
  
Insector still couldn't tell where it was coming from. It seemed to be echoing from all around, despite the surrounding area being composed of spacious tree's. 'Time to get out of here.' Insector thought grimly. As much as he hated to retreat, he valued his life more than his pride. As soon as he reached a foot down to the branch below, he heard a sharp crack of a bullet. "Uh-uh-uh." The voice chided mockingly. Insector's face was white. The branch he was about to step on was now splinters on the ground, the bullet having missed his foot by inches. Quickly, before he could lose his balance, he grabbed for another branch. ^TAT^ That option was destroyed. "Aggh!" Insector yelled as he almost lost his balance. He just barely managed to pull himself back onto his original branch, sweating heavily at the effort of dragging his injured body.   
  
^TATTATTATTATTTAT^  
  
After a quick round of shots, the remaining branches around Insector were snapped, weakened, and generally destroyed. There were only three options now. Jump the fifteen or so feet to the ground, stay where he was, or climb higher. Jumping wasn't an option. He knew he'd break a leg, at the very least. He didn't want to stay on the same branch for long, in case it snapped, so that only left one option. Insector looked up warily, trying to judge if he could reach out and grab the nearest branch, without risking over-balancing and falling if the branch was shot before he could get it.   
  
^TAT^   
  
The bullet whizzed by his head and embedded itself into the bark of the tree. Insector gulped. There was nothing else to do but climb. "Gghh..." He growled slightly he pulled himself onto the branch, half expecting it to be shattered soon. To his surprise and relief there was no sign of the mystery assassin. 'Maybe he went away.' He allowed himself to think fleetingly. Then he shook his head slightly. There was no way somebody out to kill would let an easy target like him away. They were...playing with him. Insector continued to climb upwards, as if expecting to find an answer to his predicament at the top of the tree.   
  
The sharp retort of the gun made Insector flinch. Splinters showered on him, as he was at last cut off from going any further up. He clutched his branch tightly with both arms, hugging it to his body so as to ensure that he wouldn't fall. "I'm not moving." he mumbled "I'm not going anywhere". To his shame he realized tears were beginning to trickle from his eyes, which he had squeezed shut. He shuddered slightly as he heard the dark laugh once again flow to his ears. The person sounded close. 'If I look now, I could probably see them' he told himself. But no matter what his brain said, his body wouldn't respond. Insector was frozen on a lone branch, hugging a tree trunk, about 25 feet above the ground. He was going to die.   
  
'No! I can't die! I was so close to winning! I was the one who planned everything. I made the odds less! Me! Me!' Insector yelled to himself. He sniffed angrily, and unconsciously brought a hand up to wipe his face. His eyes flew open as he began to lose his balance. "NO!" he cried, grasping despretly for something to hold onto. His fingers closed around something metallic, but the sweat on Insectors hands caused it to slip away. His gaze focused on the object. 'I guess I've found my mysterious killer.' He thought hazily, looking at the tip of the machine gun pointed casually at him. His eyes traveled up the weapon, reaching the hands that held it, the arms, the torso, neck, and finally the face. He squinted a bit as he tried to make out the details.   
  
It was hard to do, considering he was falling out of the tree and to the ground at a stead rate. It also didn't help matters that the person was upside-down. Since all the branches around Insector had been gunned away, the person, who had actually been *above* Insector all this time, had to hook his legs on a branch and swing down to reach him with the gun. Insector's mind took all of this in in a split second. It took him another moment to realize that his motion had stopped. 'Have I landed?' he thought, senses distorted. No, he finally concluded.   
  
He had been at least 20 feet up, and that person (who he still hadn't recognized, though he felt he should have. He blamed it on the odd angle) wasn't that far away yet. Then he became aware of a burning pain spreading across his back. He gasped and started screaming and twitching. 'NO!' his mind cried, again trying to control his own body. But the pain was too much for Insector, and next thing he knew he was falling back off the branch that had broken his fall--and his spine, by the way it felt--and he once again felt whoosh of air as it passed him. Somehow he had managed to twist around so that he could see the ground rushing at him, coming closer and closer. "THUD"   
  
Insector lay face down, hand at the side of his head and feet spread apart as if he was some cartoon character that had just fallen off a cliff. And just like a cartoon character, Insector raised his head up and began stumbling to his feet. He cried out at every move, since it was agonizing to his back. It was a miracle he wasn't paralyzed. 'Got to get away. Have to get away from here' were the thoughts running through his mind. That person was still there in the tree. Probably laughing, amused at Insectors pathetic struggle for life. "Got to run. Run. Run." Insector muttered, dragging himself away from the site as fast as his battered body could take him. He stifled a sob as he felt a frail and cracked rib break outright inside his body, the combination of impact and movement too much for the bone. Insector gasped and sputtered, not caring about how much noise he was making, only knowing that he had to get away before he was caught--  
  
^TATTAT^   
  
"AAHHHHHH" He screamed as two bullets entered him from behind, one of them exiting just as quickly from around his stomach. The other stayed lodged in the back of his lungs, having been slowed down by the muscles in his back. Insector collapsed on the ground, losing the strength to go on walking. He heard a thump from somewhere behind him that sounded like someone landing on the ground. Then footsteps. Insector began crawling frantically, inching his way across the dirt and leaves. 'I'm not going to make it.' He thought. But still he crawled. "Haven't you given up, yet?" Somebody asked from above him. A shadow fell on Insector as the person stood in front of the sun. Insector coughed as he found himself short of breath. He tried to breath more deeply, but it felt like he had breathed in a bucket of water. 'Blood', he realized, 'from my lungs.' "You're dead. Why don't you accept it, Haga."   
  
The killer, Bakura, said softly. He kneeled down next to Insector, watching as he continued to inch his way across the ground. "Stubborn." He grinned. Instead of shooting him and ending it, Bakura taunted and poked at Insector as he crawled, urging him to try and escape. They both knew it was hopeless, and Bakura relished in making the boy feel trapped. Bakura stepped lightly onto Insectors broken back, watching observantly as he yelled out, though the yell was muffled by the ground. For five minutes Bakura trailed Insectors movements, and for five minutes Insector kept hoping for some sort of miracle.  
  
But then the time came when Insector couldn't move, and couldn't breath. He gasped and choked, but no air could reach his lungs. He was at his final stage. Bakura smirked when Insector stopped crawling. The fun was over now, though. He had things to do. He couldn't waste the day watching Insector die. There were so many other prospects. Like the Pharaoh. Yami Malik seemed to have lost interest in Bakura, so he wasn't too hurried. With that in mind, Bakura strode off into the trees, leaving Insector to die face down in the dirt.  
  
V  
  
V  
  
V************Boy #2---Insector Haga Dead. 10 to Go. ***************  
  
V  
  
V  
  
V  
  
B  
  
R  
  
B  
  
R  
  
---And there you have it! *sobs* I killed Insector! I'm beginning to like him! Him and Ryusaki aren't really all that bad. : I'm mean. Well, it's part of the story, so...Either way, Bakura's meaner. Speaking of which, I can't wait to get to the confrontation between him and Yami Malik. :D It's going to be fun! To me, anyway. I'm beginning to find a pattern. I'm letting a great deal of my peoples bleed to death, aren't I? Hmm. Must stop that. It gets repetitive.   
  
Reviewers! Wowwie! Major thanks to--  
  
Yami Bakura Kia (Thanks!) ; Mystrana and Lady Love (Can't guarantee I won't, but I'll try...) ; ITSAME (Welcome!) ; Ssjgoddesschico (At the end of the movie, the 'heros' managed to get out alive. But they're making a sequel to BR, so there isn't really an end, yet.) ; ilukaiba ; DJ Moves (Hello!) ; Unintentional Nightmare (I thought so too...^^) ; Jounouchi Katsuya ; and Chibizoo ( O.O Who hasn't heard of your contest?! It's all around ff.net and LJ. Of course I'm going to enter! But I already have reviews and such for this one, so it'd be cheating. ^^ But I will enter, with another story. Maybe not as good, maybe better. I don't know. *shrugs* But thanks for inviting me!!)   
  
Thank you so much!  
  
---Next chapter I don't know what exactly will happen. Haven't even started it. But there are only 10 people left, which include Yugi, Malik, Jou, Seto, Otogi, Ryou, and 4 other misc people. So, next I'll get rid of those four, then the real fun begins! 


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